So you found a plot you like
The seller hands you a photocopy of a registry. It looks official. The name matches, the stamp is there. Is that enough to buy? No. A photocopy proves almost nothing on its own. Before you pay, you need to check the government record yourself.
This guide shows you how to check a property in Pakistan before you hand over any money. It covers every province and the common traps that cost people their savings.
What checking a property really means
There is no single website for all of Pakistan. Each province keeps its own land record. So start by knowing which record you need. Four words come up again and again.
- Fard. This is the paper that shows who owns a piece of land today. It is an official extract of the record of rights.
- Registry. The deed that records that a sale happened, signed and stamped by the sub registrar.
- Intiqal, or mutation. The entry that actually moves your name into the land record after a sale.
- Khasra and Khewat. Numbers that identify the plot. Khasra is the plot or survey number. Khewat is the ownership account number.
Think of them as a chain. The registry records the sale. The intiqal changes who owns it in the record. The fard shows who owns it today. You need all three, not one.
Why a registry alone is not enough
A person can pay, sign the registry, and still not own anything in the government record. That happens when the buyer never completes the intiqal. The record still shows the seller as the owner. A dishonest seller can then sell the same plot again to someone else. This second sale is the trap that catches a lot of buyers.
A fard is only issued once the mutation is recorded. If your name is not on a fresh fard, the chain is not complete. Never skip the intiqal to save a fee.
How to check a property in Punjab
Punjab has the most developed land record system. It is run by the Punjab Land Records Authority, or PLRA, at punjab-zameen.gov.pk. This is the official check before you buy.
To get a fard online, you enter your district, tehsil, and mauza, along with your CNIC or the khasra number. Then match the owner name, father name, area, and share against the seller documents. If the spelling differs even slightly, question it.
You can get a fard three ways. Online through the PLRA portal. In person at an Arazi Record Centre after biometric verification. Or at an Arazi Moawin kiosk. The fee is small, around Rs 50 per khatooni and up to Rs 150 per khewat, plus a service charge.
Get a fresh fard close to the day you buy. Never rely on the seller old copy.
Also check the e stamp to confirm the stamp paper is real. Check the registry of deeds and confirm the mutation has been entered. The full mutation process is explained by the PLRA. If the plot is in a Lahore housing scheme, check for the new Property Certificate that the PLRA now requires. Since July 2026, a sale in those schemes without this certificate has no legal standing. File based buying there has been abolished.
There is also an official Punjab Zameen app. Download it only from the official store. Never enter your CNIC or one time password on imitation websites.
How to check a property in Sindh
In Sindh, the record is run by the Board of Revenue. Start at sindhzameen.gos.pk. You can search by CNIC or by name, using the district, taluka, and deh. The site holds the Village Forms, land registers, and maps.
One caution. The Board of Revenue says the online information has no legal validity. For anything official, get the printed computerised copy from a Peoples Service Centre. The online check is a good first look, not the final word.
Islamabad, KPK and Balochistan
For an Islamabad plot, use the Capital Development Authority. It runs a property verification service for the plot you select. An allotment letter alone is not proof of ownership.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the Revenue and Estate Department handles fard and mutation. In Balochistan, the records are being computerised slowly. Until they are online, verify in person at the tehsil office or the sub registrar. Always see original documents, never a copy.
Red flags that should make you walk away
Some signs mean trouble. The seller only shows photocopies and will not produce the original fard. They push you to skip the mutation to save fees. They sell an allotment letter as if it were proof of ownership. Someone offers to sell you a "national database report" about the property as proof. These reports are often fake. Any mismatch between the documents and the seller CNIC is a warning.
In most private housing societies there is no government fard at all. The society holds the records and issues its own transfer letter. So your check shifts to the society office and the official approved layout. An approved society name does not mean every block is legal.
What to do after you buy
Do not stop at the registry. Complete the intiqal or mutation right after the sale. Only when your name sits on a fresh fard is the property truly yours in the record. This applies to gifts and inherited property too. When an owner passes away, the heirs need an inheritance mutation even though no registry is involved.
A short checklist before you pay
- Find out which authority covers the area. PLRA for Punjab, Board of Revenue for Sindh, CDA for Islamabad.
- Pull a fresh fard yourself, never the seller copy.
- Match the record names with the seller CNIC.
- Note and trace the mutation number.
- Ask about mortgages, court stays, or disputes on the plot.
- Verify the e stamp and the registry of deeds.
- Never pay the full amount before you verify.
- Complete the intiqal immediately after buying.
Recovering money after a bad transfer is far harder than checking a record today. Take the twenty minutes to check. It can save you years.
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