Punjab Government to overhaul Lahore’s property ownership system

The Punjab Government has launched a major initiative to replace all legal proofs of ownership for land with the Green Property Certificate in Lahore by July 1, 2026. The new system is meant to increase transparency, reduce property disputes and centralize the land records documentation for the province by digitizing all land records.

Currently, the land record system in Punjab is scattered and fragmented, with colonial era Patwari system operating alongside modern era digitization initiatives of Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA). The new Green Property Certificate system will do away with colonial era practices to provide a centralized and digitized land records system.

With the new system, traditional ownership documents such as fards and registries as well as society issued files will not be the final proof of ownership for a property. Instead, only Green Property Certificate issued by the government after verification of claims will play that role. All owners of property in the city will need to get the Green Property Certificate for all their property if they wish to engage in property transactions in the future.

The process for getting the certificate involves:

• Go to the local branch of Arazi Records Center (ARC) of Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA). In case one is not available in your area, there will be a designated Service Center.

 

• Provide your Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) to the staff for biometric verification through NADRA. Also, provide your property documents to the staff (fards, registries, files etc.).

 

• Submit the required processing fee. Currently, the fee is at Rs. 950. Payment can be made through the Bank of Punjab counter at ARC, through PSID (Pay Slid ID) or through mobile banking apps.

 

• The government will then send a GPS surveyor to the property in question to physically inspect it and to digitally record it using GPS.

 

• This will be followed by neighbor verification where two neighbors with existing Green Property Certificates will verify the possession of the property.

 

• Details of the property will then be published for 15-days for public notice to check for any objections.

 

• Once no objections are raised, the certificate is approved and the QR-coded Green Property Certificate will be issued.

All housing schemes in the city, including public and private ones, will be made part of this single system. No society will be exempt.

All property transactions, including property selling/buying, transfer, gift deed or use of property for loan as collateral will require Green Property certificate from July 1, 2026 in Lahore. No other ownership document will be accepted from then onwards.

While this change has the potential to reduce property litigation, its sudden rollout means it will take time for housing societies and for the public to adapt it. However, a digitized land records system has been long overdue.