Lahore Division

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has approved major reforms to the rules governing private housing schemes, making it mandatory for all new applications and amendments to previously approved schemes to be submitted through a central digital approval system.
The Punjab Cabinet’s Standing Committee on Legislative Business has approved comprehensive amendments to the Punjab Private Housing Schemes Rules 2022. The reforms are aimed at improving transparency, planning standards, regulatory oversight and protection for property buyers.
Under the new rules, strict action can be taken against housing schemes established without approval or projects that fail to complete development work within the prescribed time. Such schemes may face daily fines ranging from PKR 5,000 to PKR 20,000.
The amended rules also place emphasis on underground utility services, stronger infrastructure planning and the provision of essential residential facilities. The government believes these measures will help protect buyers, discourage illegal schemes and promote affordable housing.
Any housing scheme involving more than five landowners will be required to apply through a registered company or a cooperative society. The number of owners in an approved scheme will not be allowed to increase later.
The number of entities participating in a joint venture housing project has also been limited to five, while cooperative societies will not be permitted to enter into joint venture agreements.
The amendments have been aligned with the Punjab Local Government Act 2025 and will take effect after publication in the official gazette.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab government has decided to introduce digital monitoring at marriage halls, marquees, farmhouses and restaurants in a major move aimed at curbing tax evasion, improving revenue collection and making the provincial tax system more transparent.
The decision was taken during a high level meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, where officials reviewed the province’s revenue performance and discussed steps to strengthen tax enforcement through modern technology.
Under the proposed plan, advanced camera systems will be installed at marriage halls, marquees, farmhouses and major food chains to monitor commercial activity and help authorities assess whether businesses are accurately declaring their sales and tax liabilities.
Officials said the initiative is designed to identify cases where businesses issue fake receipts, conceal sales or underreport income. Strict action will be taken against establishments found involved in tax evasion or documentation fraud.
The provincial government is also considering making digital payments mandatory at selected restaurants. Authorities believe this will create a clear financial record of transactions and reduce the possibility of cash based underreporting.
Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the government would follow a zero tolerance policy against tax evasion. She said technology based monitoring, digital tools and improved enforcement mechanisms would be used to detect irregularities and ensure better compliance.
During the meeting, officials informed the chief minister that Punjab has set a revenue target of Rs. 528.5 billion for FY27. The Punjab Revenue Authority’s collections have increased from Rs. 250 billion to Rs. 346 billion, showing a growth of 38 percent.
The meeting was further informed that the Punjab Revenue Authority has expanded its operational presence from 10 districts to 26 districts. Dedicated intelligence, investigation, taxpayer audit and legal wings have also been established to strengthen tax administration across the province.
Officials said the digital monitoring initiative is part of a wider effort to modernize Punjab’s revenue system, reduce leakages and bring more businesses into the documented economy.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
Legal experts believe that the introduction of the Green Property Certificate will not completely eliminate the patwari system or the role of revenue staff. Patwaris and other revenue officials will continue to perform important functions in certain areas, including land demarcation, site inspection reports, possession verification, record correction and other legal proceedings.
However, their traditional monopoly over obtaining a Fard, or basic ownership record, is likely to decrease, as citizens will be able to access land records directly through a digital and institutional system.
The biggest benefit of the Green Property Certificate will be that prospective buyers can verify ownership through official records before finalising a property transaction. This is expected to reduce issues such as fake Fards, fraudulent mutations, the sale of the same plot to multiple buyers and unlawful alterations to land records.
However, the certificate will not replace a registered sale deed, mutation record or a final court decision. Even where a digital record or certificate is issued in one person’s name, another party may still assert a legal claim over the same property, particularly if they possess an earlier registry, inheritance right, court decree, original mutation, partition deed or evidence of forged documents.
In such a situation, the affected party may first submit an objection and an application for correction of the record at the relevant Arazi Record Centre or revenue office of the Punjab Land Records Authority. The application should be supported by documents including the registry, Fard, mutation, inheritance papers, national identity card, court order or other relevant evidence.
Where the dispute relates to an error in the record, a forged mutation or an unlawful entry, an inquiry and correction may be sought from the revenue authorities. If the dispute is complex, involves competing ownership claims or is based on a registered legal document, the matter may need to be taken before a civil court.
The affected party may file a suit for declaration of ownership, cancellation of a registry or mutation, correction of the land record and an injunction. A temporary injunction may also be obtained to prevent the property from being sold, transferred or mortgaged while the dispute is pending.
In cases involving forged documents, fake biometric verification, fraud or impersonation, the affected party may also approach the police or the relevant investigation agency. However, the final determination of ownership is generally made by the relevant revenue forum or a civil court.
The proposed launch of the Green Property Certificate in Punjab is being seen as an important step towards making land and property records more modern, transparent and citizen friendly. Under the system, citizens will not have to rely entirely on the traditional patwari process to verify ownership of plots, agricultural land or other properties. Instead, they will be able to obtain a digitally verified certificate based on computerised land records.
Under the government’s plan, the certificate will be issued within the administrative framework of the Punjab Land Records Authority, which operates computerised systems for land records, Fards, mutations and ownership details under the Board of Revenue Punjab. Citizens will be able to apply through the relevant Arazi Record Centre, designated service centres or an online platform introduced for this purpose.
Before a certificate is issued, the applicant’s national identity card, khasra number, khata or khatooni, mutation, registry, inheritance details and available digital land record will be reviewed and cross checked. If the record is found accurate, a verified Green Property Certificate will be issued as preliminary official evidence of the property’s ownership status.
The core purpose of the Green Property Certificate is to link land records with a transparent system rather than with individual discretion. Its success will depend on whether digital records remain complete, accurate, regularly updated and easily accessible to citizens, while property disputes are resolved fairly and without delay.