Punjab to replace Fard-e-Bai with Green Property Certificate from July 1

RAWALPINDI: Punjab will begin using a Green Property Certificate for all property transactions from July 1, replacing the long-standing requirement of obtaining Fard-e-Bai from patwaris as proof of ownership.

The change is being introduced by the Punjab Land Records Authority and the Board of Revenue with the start of the new fiscal year. The Revenue Department has instructed all registrars and tehsildar offices in Rawalpindi Division to put the new system in place from July 1.

Punjab Land Records Authority Chairman Tariq Subhani said the old system for issuing Fard-e-Bai and related documents would be ended across the province. He said the Green Property Certificate had been launched to protect ownership and property boundaries and to curb fraud and forgery in land deals. Subhani described the move as a major change in Punjab's land administration system and said the certificate confirms both ownership and possession.

Rawalpindi Deputy Commissioner Hassan Waqar said the Green Property Certificate is a legal document issued by the PLRA that verifies ownership, possession and the legal standing of a property. The fee for the certificate has also been raised after the subsidised Rs900 rate expires on June 30.