Lahore: The implementation of the Green Property Certificate in Punjab is facing challenges in areas where land records have not yet been fully digitised. While the initiative aims to improve transparency and strengthen property verification, incomplete digital records have slowed its rollout in several parts of the province.
The Punjab government made the Green Property Certificate mandatory from July 1 for property sales, transfers, and other land-related transactions. The certificate is designed to digitally verify property ownership, possession, boundaries, and legal status before a transaction is completed, helping reduce fraud and improve confidence in the real estate sector.
However, during the initial implementation phase, property owners, lawyers, and real estate professionals reported delays in obtaining the certificate in areas where land records remain incomplete. In response, the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) resumed issuing computerized land record extracts in fully digitized revenue estates, while a comprehensive policy for non-computerized areas is still awaited.
According to property experts, outdated or incomplete land records continue to create obstacles in several revenue estates. Common issues include ownership disputes, inaccurate boundary information, inheritance-related cases, joint ownership records, and properties involved in ongoing court proceedings, all of which can delay the verification process.
PLRA Deputy Director Ali Raza Butt stated that approximately 96% of Punjab’s land records have been digitised, while the remaining 4% are still undergoing verification due to historical record deficiencies and administrative complexities. He explained that most of the pending records belong to revenue estates affected by long-standing ownership disputes or incomplete documentation.
Officials said the Green Property Certificate will only be issued after all discrepancies relating to ownership, possession, legal status, and property boundaries have been resolved. The verification process is intended to ensure that every property transaction is supported by accurate and updated land records.
Meanwhile, Shahid Ansar Goraya, President of the Patwari Association Punjab, highlighted that Punjab has not conducted a comprehensive land settlement survey in more than a century. He noted that errors during the digitisation process, indivisible land records, multiple properties recorded under a single survey number, and outdated boundary demarcations have contributed to the current challenges. He called for a province-wide land resurvey and updated record corrections to improve the accuracy of Punjab’s land database.
The Green Property Certificate is a key part of the Punjab government’s broader effort to modernize land administration and make property transactions more secure. As digitisation work continues across the province, authorities expect the system to become more efficient, helping streamline property transfers while reducing legal disputes and fraudulent transactions in the long term.
