Punjab’s property reform hits ground hurdles

Just days after making the Green Property Certificate mandatory for property transactions, the Punjab government has relaxed the policy by once again allowing the issuance of computerised land record extracts in computerised revenue estates. This development has raised questions about the practical implementation of the new system, the readiness of land records, and the pace of digitisation.

The government had made the Green Property Certificate mandatory from July 1 for property sales, transfers, and other land transactions. According to officials, the system aimed to verify ownership, possession, boundaries, and legal status using modern technology to prevent fake transfers, double sales, and property fraud.

However, during implementation, citizens, lawyers, and real estate professionals encountered several difficulties. According to sources, applicants in many areas were unable to obtain the certificate because land records had not yet been fully digitized. As a result, the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) resumed issuing land record extracts in computerized revenue estates, while no clear policy has yet been announced for non-computerised areas.

According to Lahore-based property dealer Mian Ishtiaq Ahmad, incomplete digital land records in many old and suburban revenue estates of Lahore—as well as in Sheikhupura, Kasur, Nankana Sahib, Okara, Sahiwal, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Rajanpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Bhakkar, and parts of South Punjab—have forced citizens to make repeated visits to Land Record Centers and revenue offices.

Revenue officials say that most objections relate to land boundary demarcation, verification of possession, joint ownership, inheritance disputes, and cases pending before courts. In many locations, differences between old land records and the current on-ground situation require fresh surveys or corrections to the records, delaying the issuance of Green Property Certificates.

Lahore High Court lawyer Rana Sajid Yousaf said that the new system presents greater complications in cases involving joint ownership, inherited properties, mortgaged land, and disputed ownership because an error in the records of even one co-owner can affect the entire transaction.

Meanwhile, Ali Raza Butt, Deputy Director of the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), stated that approximately 96 per cent of Punjab's land records have been digitised, while the remaining four per cent has yet to be completed due to historical and administrative complexities. He said that most non-digitised revenue estates are located in areas with ownership disputes or long-standing record deficiencies, and their digitisation is ongoing.

He added that the purpose of the Green Property Certificate is to provide citizens with verified properties whose ownership, boundaries, possession, and legal status have been thoroughly checked. According to him, wherever discrepancies exist in the records, the certificate will only be issued after the necessary corrections have been made.

On the other hand, Shahid Ansar Goraya, President of the Patwari Association Punjab, said that Punjab has not conducted a comprehensive land settlement survey for the past 125 years. “Data-entry errors made during the land record digitization process that began in 2007 have worsened the current problems. In some districts, indivisible land records, multiple properties recorded under a single survey number, and outdated boundary demarcations continue to be major obstacles. A lasting solution requires a province-wide resurvey, correction of land records, and updated demarcation of urban boundaries,” noted Goraya.

Experts believe that the Green Property Certificate could become an important step toward transparent land governance. However, its success depends on having complete and accurate digital land records, effective field verification, modern boundary surveys, and uniform, phased implementation across the province.