Broken locks at Rawalpindi property record office prompt security review

RAWALPINDI: A breach at Rawalpindi’s historic Property Record Office has sparked concern in the revenue administration after staff found the building’s locks broken in unexplained circumstances.

The office, situated on City Saddar Road near Fawara Chowk, holds some of the city’s oldest land ownership documents, with records estimated to date back 300 to 350 years. It is regarded as one of Rawalpindi’s most sensitive record repositories and also serves as the headquarters of the local revenue administration.

According to officials, employees arriving for work two days ago discovered that the facility’s heavy-duty locks had been forced open under what they described as suspicious circumstances. The development caused unease within the Revenue Department, and senior officials were initially unable to determine how the locks had been broken.

The record centre houses key land and ownership files and accommodates a tehsildar, four naib tehsildars, several girdawars and patwaris, along with their courts and administrative staff. A report on the incident has been submitted to the relevant authorities, while departmental teams are checking the record room to determine whether any documents are missing.

Officials said the facility did not previously have a comprehensive security system despite the sensitivity of the records kept there. In response to the incident, the tehsil administration has decided to put stronger security arrangements in place to protect the historic documents.

According to the record room keeper, no loss of valuable property records has been detected so far, even though the locks were found broken. However, officials said the assessment is still continuing.