Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Legal experts believe that the introduction of the Green Property Certificate will not completely eliminate the patwari system or the role of revenue staff. Patwaris and other revenue officials will continue to perform important functions in certain areas, including land demarcation, site inspection reports, possession verification, record correction and other legal proceedings.
However, their traditional monopoly over obtaining a Fard, or basic ownership record, is likely to decrease, as citizens will be able to access land records directly through a digital and institutional system.
The biggest benefit of the Green Property Certificate will be that prospective buyers can verify ownership through official records before finalising a property transaction. This is expected to reduce issues such as fake Fards, fraudulent mutations, the sale of the same plot to multiple buyers and unlawful alterations to land records.
However, the certificate will not replace a registered sale deed, mutation record or a final court decision. Even where a digital record or certificate is issued in one person’s name, another party may still assert a legal claim over the same property, particularly if they possess an earlier registry, inheritance right, court decree, original mutation, partition deed or evidence of forged documents.
In such a situation, the affected party may first submit an objection and an application for correction of the record at the relevant Arazi Record Centre or revenue office of the Punjab Land Records Authority. The application should be supported by documents including the registry, Fard, mutation, inheritance papers, national identity card, court order or other relevant evidence.
Where the dispute relates to an error in the record, a forged mutation or an unlawful entry, an inquiry and correction may be sought from the revenue authorities. If the dispute is complex, involves competing ownership claims or is based on a registered legal document, the matter may need to be taken before a civil court.
The affected party may file a suit for declaration of ownership, cancellation of a registry or mutation, correction of the land record and an injunction. A temporary injunction may also be obtained to prevent the property from being sold, transferred or mortgaged while the dispute is pending.
In cases involving forged documents, fake biometric verification, fraud or impersonation, the affected party may also approach the police or the relevant investigation agency. However, the final determination of ownership is generally made by the relevant revenue forum or a civil court.
The proposed launch of the Green Property Certificate in Punjab is being seen as an important step towards making land and property records more modern, transparent and citizen friendly. Under the system, citizens will not have to rely entirely on the traditional patwari process to verify ownership of plots, agricultural land or other properties. Instead, they will be able to obtain a digitally verified certificate based on computerised land records.
Under the government’s plan, the certificate will be issued within the administrative framework of the Punjab Land Records Authority, which operates computerised systems for land records, Fards, mutations and ownership details under the Board of Revenue Punjab. Citizens will be able to apply through the relevant Arazi Record Centre, designated service centres or an online platform introduced for this purpose.
Before a certificate is issued, the applicant’s national identity card, khasra number, khata or khatooni, mutation, registry, inheritance details and available digital land record will be reviewed and cross checked. If the record is found accurate, a verified Green Property Certificate will be issued as preliminary official evidence of the property’s ownership status.
The core purpose of the Green Property Certificate is to link land records with a transparent system rather than with individual discretion. Its success will depend on whether digital records remain complete, accurate, regularly updated and easily accessible to citizens, while property disputes are resolved fairly and without delay.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain retired Muhammad Ali Ijaz has directed the relevant officials to immediately stop all construction activities being carried out without approved building plans and to take indiscriminate legal action against those involved in violations of approved maps.
The Lahore district administration launched a grand operation against illegal constructions in different areas of Shalimar Zone. During the action, one illegal multi-storey building was demolished, while six other buildings were sealed over violations of rules and regulations.
The operation was carried out under the supervision of Deputy Commissioner Lahore Captain retired Muhammad Ali Ijaz in the areas of Ayub Road, Mai Kami Road, Sher Shah Road, Gudday Shah Road and Haq Nawaz Road. Enforcement squads of the Town Planning Wing of the Metropolitan Corporation Lahore also be took part in the operation.
According to the district administration, actions against illegal constructions will continue to ensure strict implementation of building laws across the city. The administration said compliance with construction regulations is essential to make Lahore a more organized, safe and beautiful city.

Karachi | ReNews Pakistan
The Sindh High Court has upheld the National Accountability Bureau’s action to cancel the illegal allotment of approximately 800 acres of valuable government land in Karachi, dismissing multiple petitions filed by the beneficiaries of the disputed transactions.
According to details released by NAB, the court declared the allotments void from the outset and held that no legal protection could be extended to transactions built on a fraudulent foundation. The court also affirmed that NAB’s intervention and the cancellation of the allotments were lawful.
The case relates to one of Karachi’s major land scandals, which dates back to the early 1990s. NAB stated that the state owned urban land was allegedly transferred to private parties through fabricated evacuee claims, forged documents and the alleged involvement of corrupt officials. The land was later sold through multiple transactions at substantial profits.
Some of the disputed land includes facilities that form part of Karachi’s water supply system, while other portions had been reserved for public parks. Following NAB’s intervention, the bureau worked with the Sindh Board of Revenue to cancel fraudulent land records and restore the properties to government control.
The petitioners had argued before the court that they had not been given a proper hearing and were bona fide purchasers who were unaware of the alleged fraud. However, the court rejected these arguments and directed any affected buyers to seek legal remedy against those who sold them the disputed land, rather than against the State.
NAB said the ruling sends a clear message that government land obtained through fraud or illegal allotment will be traced and restored for public use.