A man in Lahore buys a plot from his neighbour. He pays the full price and gets a paper signed by the seller. Six months later he tries to sell the plot. No one will buy it because the fard still shows the seller's name. The paper he holds is not enough. He never registered the sale.
This is how many property disputes in Pakistan begin. Ownership does not move when you pay. It moves when the sale deed is registered. That step is called registry, and it happens at the sub registrar's office.
What is a registry?
A registry is the official record of a sale. The buyer and the seller sign a sale deed, called bai nama, in front of the sub registrar. The deed is stamped and given a document number.
The law is clear. Section 54 of the Transfer of Property Act 1882 says a sale of immovable property worth Rs 100 or more can only be made through a registered instrument. Section 17 of the Registration Act 1908 makes registration compulsory for instruments that transfer rights in immovable property of that value.
Until the deed is registered, you are not the owner. You hold an agreement. An agreement can be cancelled. A registered deed cannot.
What to check before you register
Registry does not prove the seller owned the property. It only records what both of you signed. So check first. See how to check a property in Pakistan before buying.
- Get the fard and confirm the seller's name. You can check property ownership in Pakistan online.
- Ask for the previous registry and the mutation history. A seller who never did mutation cannot give you a clean title.
- Get the society or authority NOC if the property is in a housing scheme.
- Clear the property tax and any dues first.
- In Sindh, a newly built flat or house needs an approved completion plan from SBCA. Section 18-G of the Sindh Building Control Ordinance bars registration without it.
The registry process, step by step
Punjab runs registry online through the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA). These are the official steps.
- Create an e-stamp challan. It covers stamp duty, FBR taxes, the registration fee and the mutation fee.
- Make an account on the e-registration portal.
- Start the deed request and enter the details of the buyer, the seller and the witnesses.
- Pay the challan.
- The file goes to the sub registrar. Both parties appear and give their statements. Identity is checked with biometrics.
- The deed gets a Bahi number and a document number. You receive the registered document.
Sindh has its own e-registration system, live since February 2024. You buy e-stamp paper, pay the FBR challans, draft the deed, and appear for biometric verification. Since February 2026, the Sindh Registration (Amendment) Act 2026 allows biometric verification at any sub registrar office or People's Service Centre. It also lets overseas Pakistanis with NICOP or POC verify biometrically, or act through a registered power of attorney.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registers property through its Board of Revenue system.
What registry costs
Stamp duty is a provincial tax. It is charged on the government valuation of the area, not always on the price written in the deed. The rates changed in April 2026.
- Punjab: 1% on property transactions. The Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance 2026 made the rate uniform. Before it, urban areas paid 1% and rural areas paid 3%. Transactions completed within 12 months pay 1%. Those beyond 12 months pay 2%. (Express Tribune)
- Sindh: 2% of the valuation table value on a sale deed, under Article 16-A of the Stamp Act schedule for Sindh.
- Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: stamp duty 1%, registration fee 0.5%, mutation fee 1%, and capital value tax 1%, per the Board of Revenue.
- Islamabad: stamp duty around 2% of the DC rate, with a registration fee of about 1%. The CDA also cut its property transfer fee from 3% to 1% in April 2026. (Dawn)
FBR also collects advance tax. The buyer pays under Section 236K and the seller under Section 236C of the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. For 2026-27, filers pay 1.25% as buyer and 2.75% as seller, down from 2.5% and 5.5%. Non filers pay more. The tax is calculated on the FBR valuation of the property.
Example: a property worth Rs 10 million in Punjab carries stamp duty of Rs 100,000 at 1%. The same in Sindh carries Rs 200,000 at 2%. Add the FBR buyer tax and the registration fee. Confirm the valuation table and your filer status before you pay.
After registry: mutation
Registry changes ownership in the deed. The land record still shows the old owner until a mutation, called intiqal, is recorded. See what property mutation in Pakistan involves.
In Punjab you go to the Arazi Record Centre with the buyer, the witnesses and the registered deed. Get a token with biometric verification, submit the documents, pay the fee, and appear before the Assistant Director Land Records. He records the statements and confirms the mutation. With everyone present, it can finish in one visit. The PLRA guide explains it.
What if you skip registration?
An unregistered sale deed does not pass ownership. Under Section 49 of the Registration Act 1908, a document that should have been registered cannot be received as evidence of the transaction. Courts apply this strictly. In 2026 the Supreme Court held that an unregistered lease for more than a year is unenforceable, and the tenancy becomes month to month. (2026 SCLR 94)
There is a deadline. A deed must be presented for registration within four months of signing. If you miss it, the registrar can allow another four months in genuine cases, with a fine of up to ten times the registration fee.
Token money and agreements do not transfer ownership. Only a registered deed does. If the seller takes your money and refuses to complete, you can file a suit for specific performance to force the transfer. The court can also block the seller from selling to someone else.
What this means for you
Registry is the moment your money becomes your property. Do the checks first, register within four months, and finish with the mutation. Keep the registered deed, the challans and the NOCs safe. You will need them for the next sale.
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