# DHA vs Bahria Town Lahore: which should you buy in? URL: https://which.pk/property/compare/dha-vs-bahria-town-lahore/ Author: Ahtisham Imtiaz Updated: 7 Oct 2026 ## Summary DHA Lahore is the safer buy and Bahria Town Lahore is the cheaper one. In September 2026 an average 5 marla plot was asking about Rs 1.1 crore in DHA against Rs 79.5 lakh in Bahria Town. DHA runs under its own law, sits closer to Cantt and the airport, and has far more plots on the resale market. Bahria Town's LDA approval is only partly on record and its services depend on a developer with serious legal troubles. ## Key facts - 5 marla, DHA (avg): Rs 1.1 crore - 5 marla, Bahria Town: Rs 79.5 lakh - Plots listed for sale: 12,619 vs 1,883 - Approval: DHA law vs partial LDA Buy in DHA Lahore if you can afford it and want the safest title, the better location and the easiest resale. Buy in Bahria Town Lahore if budget decides it, and only in a block you have confirmed with LDA. In September 2026 an average 5 marla plot asked about **Rs 1.1 crore in DHA** and **Rs 79.5 lakh in Bahria Town**: DHA costs roughly 40% more for the same size. The table above compares both on our [seven criteria](/methodology/). ## Why DHA scores higher on legal status DHA Lahore isn't a private housing scheme. It is a statutory authority set up under Chief Executive's Order No. 26 of 2002, published in the Gazette of Pakistan on 19 September 2002, and it approves building plans under its own regulations. LDA approval doesn't apply to it. Bahria Town Lahore is a private scheme that needs LDA approval. The LDA list we could check (as reproduced in May 2025) names only Sector A and Safari Town. Our [Bahria Town Lahore review](/property/lahore/bahria-town-lahore/) covers what that means for each sector. One caution on DHA: a "file" in a phase that hasn't been balloted is a promise of a plot, not a plot. Phase 10 had not been balloted as of May 2024. ## How prices have moved since 2021 These are Zameen's asking-price averages across all DHA phases. Old phases cost far more than new ones: Phase 6 alone averaged about Rs 1.26 crore for 5 marla in September 2026. From June 2021 to September 2026, DHA's average 5 marla asking price rose 66% and its 10 marla price 72%. Over a similar period (June 2021 to August 2026), Bahria Town's 5 marla price rose 46%, and it has fallen about 8% since mid-2025. ## Location: Cantt or the Canal Bank Road extension? DHA's established phases sit around Lahore Cantonment, near Gulberg, about 15 minutes from the airport. Its newer phases (9 Prism, 10, 11 Rahbar) are further out, towards the Ring Road, Bedian Road and Raiwind Road. Bahria Town is in south-west Lahore off the Canal Bank Road extension, about 17 km from Thokar Niaz Baig. Zameen put it at about 45 minutes from the airport in 2019. ## Utilities and services DHA's established phases (1 to 4 and 6 to 8) are on SNGPL's gas network and the LESCO grid. We found no official confirmation for gas in the newer phases. In Bahria Town, electricity and water come through the developer's bulk LESCO connection. When Bahria fell behind on Rs682 million in dues, LESCO cut supply to the whole society on 27 November 2025 for a day. In 2019 Bahria had its own grid station while DHA was still setting up grid stations, so the supply arrangements differ, and so do the risks. ## Developer record DHA has delivered and populated many phases over decades. Its failures came through partner projects: DHA City Lahore stalled after partner Globaco failed to buy the land, and in January 2019 the Supreme Court declared DHA's agreements with Eden Housing void, ordering DHA to develop 11,000 Eden plots within five years. Bahria Town's developer faces bigger problems: an unpaid Rs460 billion Karachi settlement, NAB asset auctions in 2025 and a founder declared a proclaimed offender. Our [Bahria Town review](/property/lahore/bahria-town-lahore/) has the details. ## Resale: which is easier to sell? On 7 October 2026 Zameen listed 12,619 plots for sale in DHA Lahore against 1,883 in Bahria Town Lahore. More listings mean more buyers and sellers in the market, though not necessarily faster sales. DHA charges a transfer fee of Rs 10,000 per marla in Phases I to XII (schedule effective 15 October 2024), half that if both parties are members. ## Who should choose which? - **DHA Lahore:** buyers who put legal certainty, location and resale first and can pay the premium. Prefer a phase with possession over a file. - **Bahria Town Lahore:** end users who want a built-up gated community for less, who confirm their block with LDA in writing and accept that services depend on the developer. Browse more [property comparisons](/property/compare/) as we publish them. ## DHA Lahore: facts and scorecard - Approval: DHA approved - 5 marla plot: Rs 1.1 crore - Possession: Partly given - Our score: 7.4/10 - Legal status: 9/10 (Statutory authority under CE Order No. 26 of 2002 that approves its own plans; files in unballoted phases carry separate risk.) - Possession & development: 7/10 (Phases 1-8 developed, 9 Town since 2015, Prism opening sector by sector since 2022 (DHA notices); Phase 10 not balloted as of May 2024.) - Price & appreciation: 7/10 (All-phase asking index up 66% (5 marla) and 72% (10 marla) from Jun 2021 to Sep 2026.) - Utilities: 7/10 (Established phases on SNGPL gas and the LESCO grid; utilities in newer phases unconfirmed.) - Developer track record: 6/10 (Has delivered many phases over decades; partner projects DHA City (Globaco) and Eden failed, with the Supreme Court voiding the Eden deals in 2019.) - Location: 8/10 (Established phases near Cantt and Gulberg, about 15 minutes from the airport; newer phases further out.) - Resale liquidity: 8/10 (12,619 plots listed on Zameen (Oct 2026), the deepest market in Lahore, with a formal transfer process.) ## Bahria Town Lahore: facts and scorecard - Approval: LDA: partly approved - 5 marla plot: Rs 79.52 lakh - Possession: Partly given - Our score: 5.0/10 - Legal status: 4/10 (Only Sector A and Safari Town appear on the LDA approved list we could check (May 2025); other sectors unconfirmed.) - Possession & development: 7/10 (Long established and largely built up; latest block-level possession data is from 2018.) - Price & appreciation: 5/10 (5 marla asking prices up 46% from Jun 2021 to Aug 2026, but down about 8% from the mid-2025 peak; 10 marla flat since 2024.) - Utilities: 5/10 (Electricity and water run through Bahria's bulk LESCO supply, cut for a day in Nov 2025 over unpaid dues; gas unconfirmed.) - Developer track record: 3/10 (Delivered and inhabited in Lahore, but the developer faces an unpaid Rs460bn Karachi settlement, NAB asset auctions (2025) and a founder declared proclaimed offender.) - Location: 5/10 (About 17 km from Thokar Niaz Baig and 29 km from the GPO; Ring Road SL-III under construction alongside.) - Resale liquidity: 6/10 (1,883 plots listed on Zameen (Oct 2026) and a continuous price index point to an active market; no time-to-sell data.) ## Questions people ask ### Is DHA Lahore approved by LDA? It doesn't need to be. DHA Lahore is a statutory authority under Chief Executive's Order No. 26 of 2002 and approves building plans under its own regulations. ### Is DHA Lahore more expensive than Bahria Town Lahore? Yes. In September 2026 Zameen's asking-price index put an average 5 marla plot at about Rs 1.1 crore in DHA and Rs 79.5 lakh in Bahria Town. For 10 marla it was about Rs 2.14 crore against Rs 1.46 crore. ### Which DHA Lahore phases have possession? Phases 1 to 8 are developed. Phase 9 Town has had possession since 2015, Phase 9 Prism has opened sector by sector since May 2022, and Phase 11 Rahbar's Sectors I to IV have possession. Phase 10 had not been balloted as of May 2024. ### What is the DHA Lahore transfer fee? Under DHA's schedule effective 15 October 2024, transferring a residential plot in Phases I to XII costs Rs 10,000 per marla, half that if both buyer and seller are members. Check dhalahore.org for later revisions. ### How far apart are DHA and Bahria Town Lahore? Established DHA phases are near Cantt and Gulberg, about 15 minutes from the airport. Bahria Town is in south-west Lahore off the Canal Bank Road extension, about 45 minutes from the airport according to Zameen (2019). ## Sources - [DHA Construction & Development Regulations 2026](https://dhalahore.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Updated-DHA-Const-Dev-Byelaws-2026.pdf), DHA Lahore (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [About us](https://dhalahore.org/about-us/), DHA Lahore (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Dues on services w.e.f. 15 Oct 2024](https://dhalahore.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/Revision-in-Dues-Oct-2024.pdf), DHA Lahore (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Residential plot price index, DHA Defence Lahore, 5 marla](https://www.zameen.com/index/buy/residential_plots/lahore/dha-defence-9/5-marla), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Residential plot price index, DHA Defence Lahore, 10 marla](https://www.zameen.com/index/buy/residential_plots/lahore/dha-defence-9/10-marla), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Residential plot price index, Bahria Town Lahore, 5 marla](https://www.zameen.com/index/buy/residential_plots/lahore/bahria-town-509/5-marla/), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Plots for sale in DHA Defence, Lahore](https://www.zameen.com/Plots/Lahore_DHA_Defence-9-1.html), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Plots for sale in Bahria Town, Lahore](https://www.zameen.com/Plots/Lahore_Bahria_Town-509-1.html), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Possession (opening notices)](https://dhalahore.org/possession/), DHA Lahore (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [DHA Phase 10 Lahore](https://www.graana.com/blog/dha-phase-10-lahore/), Graana.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [SNGPL announces emergency gas shutdown in Lahore areas](https://www.techjuice.pk/sngpl-announces-emergency-gas-shutdown-in-lahore-areas/), TechJuice (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Bahria Town vs DHA Lahore](https://zameen.com/blog/bahria-town-vs-dha-lahore.html), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [SC terms DHA-Eden Housing Society agreements void](https://en.dailypakistan.com.pk/01-Jan-2019/sc-terms-dha-eden-housing-society-agreements-void), Daily Pakistan (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [An important update on DHA City Lahore](https://www.zameen.com/news/an-important-update-on-dha-city-lahore.html), Zameen.com (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [LDA Approved Housing Societies in Lahore, May 2025 updated list](https://pakobserver.net/lda-approved-housing-societies-in-lahore-may-2025-updated-list/), Pakistan Observer (accessed 7 Oct 2026) - [Bahria Town Lahore residents left in the dark as power supply cut](https://www.dawn.com/news/1957900), Dawn (accessed 7 Oct 2026)