Online property ownership verification in Pakistan is a great shift by the Punjab government and the Sindh government. It was a prolonged and hectic process when owners would go to the registrar’s office and stand in long queues to get their properties verified. Because of digitization, the long wait is shrunk to minutes, and that is also in the comfort of your home.
The authorities have launched a system to check property ownership online in Pakistan. The digital system facilitates the owners by creating ease of verification. This helps to maintain the land record to minimise fraudulent and corrupt activities. Here, we will discuss the details of the digital era of land verification.
Property Ownership Verification Online In Pakistan
There are various portals available in Pakistan for checking property ownership. One way is to check the ownership through the official website of the land record authority. Once you go to the official website of your province, you have to look for the ‘property search option’. This option is usually on the homepage of every website portal. You will have to enter the location and ownership information.
Once you go to the PLRA website, you will click on the Property Registration section. You will land on the page where you will have to enter your information. You will enter your registry number, buyer or seller name, and CNIC number. Select your Tehsil and district to get the ownership information of the property.
After entering your information, you will click on the search button, and the result will appear.
You will see the registration number, year, and Mauza name. Click on the relevant registration number, and further details will appear.
Next, you will get these details with the Tehsil, Registry No., Jild number, Mauza and Bahi No., etc. You can also view the original registry by clicking on ‘View Registry.’ from this page. Once you click, you will see a scanned original copy of your registry, and you can download it as well.
Punjab Land Record Authority
The Punjab government has taken the initiative to digitalise the land records. This initiative was taken to bring transparency to the records and to prevent any wrongful deeds and corruption. The Punjab authority works through the PLRA Act 2017 under the administrative control of the Board of Revenue, Punjab Government. You can also visit the PLRA website and check out various services, including property registration, online fard, and sale deed e-registration.
Here are the steps to verify their property ownership that property owners can follow:
- If you possess property in Punjab, visit the website and click on ‘Property Resgistration.’
- If your property is in Sindh, you can visit the website and select the option ‘Search Registries Online.’ Rest; the process will be similar.
- Select your tehsil, district, and area from the sidebar.
- By entering your valid CNIC number and the property number, you can check the ownership of your property.
- After entering your information, you will click on the search button, and the result will appear.
- You will see the registration number, year, and Mauza name. Click on the relevant registration number, and further details will appear.
- You will see the details of your registry and can also view the original registry copy as well.
The Pre-digital Era of Patwaris
Everyone in Pakistan is aware of the defamed patwari system. Well, patwaris had the power to alter land records with only a pen stroke. Thus, the system of Patwaris was problematic, where years-long hurdles of land disputes often occurred. But who is a patwari? A partwari works as part of the Deputy Commissioner’s organisation to maintain land records in a district. This team also includes the tehsildars, whereas a patwari manages all the records of the lands of two or four villages.
It also includes register intkal, jamabandi, khasra girdawari, field maps, shajra nasb, daily journal, and field measurements books. Before our digital land record system, most landowners faced issues of corruption and manipulation of tampering. Because it was easy to manipulate the records according to the vested interests of the feudal. The patwaris used to become biased, and people were denied their rightful inherited lands.
When the Board of Revenue Punjab was computerised after 2001, the people and province tried to eliminate the negative impacts of the patwari system. According to the Punjab Land Record Authority, 90% of records in 39 districts are now digitized. 150 land centres in Punjab are in the process of becoming digitized. The credit goes to the Land Record Management Information Systems (LRMIS). You are not obliged to pay any patwari to search for property ownership.
A verification system and digitizing property ownership can be one step forward towards accuracy and transparency. A quick tip is to check your property status and the due property tax as well if applicable on the online property verification system.
CDA Online Property Verification
With a vision to create ease for the citizens, CDA has launched an online property verification system. You can save time and avoid hustle. You must go to the CDA official website and click on the online verification link.
Enter your property details, transfer number, allotment letter number or property registration number. After that, enter your CNIC number, and the system will identify your record. Then you can view the details of your property, its type, ownership information, and location. Once the property is verified, you can also download the certificate, which will be the proof of your ownership.
Benefits of LRMIS (Land Record Management Information System)
This digital system is much better than the old system. Citizens will need less to complete the process of mutation and can easily check their records from home. They don’t have to pay any fee, and biometric verification with NADRA guarantees a valid record of the property. Moreover, you don’t have to pay Patwari, and there is no corruption.
The Sindh Board of Revenue has also launched this online system for Sindhi people. The Sindh Board of Revenue manages all matters regarding the land and property in the province.
This online system has made everyone’s life easier, and they can search the ownership of their house easily. There is hope that the KPK and Balochistan government will also launch their online property record system.
Lastly,
It was quite difficult before to get the registration of the houses done. Also, it was a tough task for the people to transfer the property, which was rightfully theirs. They had to go to Patwaris to get the property disputes resolved. In this process, the chances of corruption and manipulation were high. Many patwaris who were biased created issues for people to transfer their properties in their names. The government has taken the initiative to bring the verification system online to facilitate the citizens.
The new online system allows owners to check property ownership within seconds. There is more transparency in the records, and the digitization of the records allows you to check the status of the property at any time.
