The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development (OP&HRD) has finalised a plan to provide online services for land records to overseas Pakistanis following directives from the prime minister.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has taken serious notice of issues pertaining to property transfer and the release of related certificates.
Currently, the overseas Pakistanis either have to grant the Power of Attorney to their relatives or physically visit Pakistan to manage property transfers and obtain other land documents.
According to sources, the Ministry of OP&HRD has largely addressed the issues with plans to use technology for online land transfers and the issuance of documents through Pakistani embassies abroad.
A follow-up meeting is scheduled for next Wednesday with the Punjab Land Department to finalise details such as cost sharing and the equipment required for the entire process.
This initiative will serve as a model project in Punjab and will be subsequently replicated in other provinces.
In adherence to PM Shehbaz’s directives, OP&HRD Secretary Dr Arshad Mahmood chaired a meeting with all relevant stakeholders.
During the meeting, the secretary expressed grave concern over the challenges faced by overseas Pakistanis in safeguarding and maintaining the possession of lands, which often remained disputed for years.
In response, the director-general of the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) highlighted that the proposal for collaboration to provide land record services to overseas Pakistanis was a groundbreaking step in the era of information technology, aimed at facilitating the land-related transactions.
This initiative will offer three major services – Fard, e-registration, and mutation. Furthermore, the online facility will eliminate middlemen in transactions such as sales and purchases, reducing the risks of fraud and litigation.
PLRA will send a fresh request to the Ministry of OP&HRD through outlining the anticipated benefits of the initiative, which will precede the service-level agreement between the two entities.
Addressing concerns, the PLRA DG noted that e-registration services were already available across Punjab. All services will be accessible to the overseas Pakistanis abroad, eliminating the need for travel to Pakistan for property registration and mutation.
The OP&HRD secretary informed the PLRA that the ministry had consulted various stakeholders, including the ministries of finance, foreign affairs, law and justice, and inter-provincial coordination.
The secretary reiterated his concern over the mutation issues. After detailed deliberations, several decisions were taken to facilitate the overseas Pakistanis by providing online services for land records and the transfer of property.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 9th, 2024.
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