Revocation of Power of Attorney (Pakistan)

A Revocation of Power of Attorney in Pakistan appoints an agent to manage the principal's affairs and sets out when and how that authority may be exercised.

Section 1 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1882 defines a power of attorney as including any instrument empowering a specified person to act for and in the name of the person executing it. The power of attorney is a revocable instrument unless it is expressed to be irrevocable in connection with a power coupled with an interest — such as a banking power of attorney or mortgage power of attorney where the attorney has advanced money on the security of the power. Section 202 of the Contract Act 1872 provides that a power of attorney cannot be revoked by the principal where the agent has an interest in the subject matter of the power — the revocation instrument must therefore distinguish between revocable and coupled-with-interest powers.

The Revocation of Power of Attorney in Pakistan must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the denomination prescribed under the Stamp Act 1899, as administered by the provincial Board of Revenue. The applicable stamp duty for a revocation deed mirrors the stamp duty for the original power of attorney — typically PKR 100 to PKR 500 depending on the type of power being revoked and the province. Where the original power of attorney was registered with the Sub-Registrar under the Registration Act 1908 — as is required for all powers of attorney relating to the transfer, sale, mortgage, or lease of immovable property under Section 17 of the Registration Act 1908 — the revocation must also be registered with the same Sub-Registrar's office to have effect against third parties under Section 32 of the Powers of Attorney Act 1882.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) does not directly administer powers of attorney, but the principal's identity in the revocation deed must be confirmed by their CNIC (Computerised National Identity Card) number. Where the principal executed the original power of attorney before a Pakistani diplomatic mission abroad, the revocation deed should similarly be executed before the relevant Pakistani mission (High Commission or Embassy) and then authenticated through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and the relevant provincial Board of Revenue.

Notice of revocation is a critical procedural step under the Powers of Attorney Act 1882. The revocation is effective against the agent from the moment the agent receives actual notice. Under Section 208 of the Contract Act 1872, where the principal revokes the authority of the agent, the revocation does not affect acts already done by the agent in good faith before the agent received notice of the revocation, nor does it affect the rights of third parties who dealt with the agent in good faith and without notice of the revocation. The principal must therefore promptly notify all third parties — banks, property buyers, government departments — who may have relied on the original power of attorney that it has been revoked.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Cybercrime Wing has in recent years investigated cases of misuse of powers of attorney in Pakistan, particularly in property fraud where agents purport to execute sale deeds under expired or forged powers of attorney. Prompt registration and publication of the revocation in a newspaper of general circulation — and where required by the receiving bank, submission of the registered revocation deed to State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) regulated banks — protects the principal against unauthorised acts by the former agent.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney in Pakistan is required whenever a principal wishes to cancel the authority previously granted to an agent and confirm that third parties are on notice that the agent no longer has authority to act.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is needed when a property owner who granted a general or special power of attorney to a real estate agent or a family member under the Transfer of Property Act 1882 wishes to cancel that authority before the agent has completed the intended property transaction — for example, where the sale of property is cancelled, the property is already disposed of, or the principal has decided to manage the transaction personally.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is required when a banking power of attorney granted to an attorney to operate a bank account, fixed deposit, or investment portfolio at an SBP-regulated bank needs to be cancelled — for example, where the attorney has misused the power, where the account holder has returned from abroad and wishes to operate the account personally, or where the relationship between principal and attorney has broken down.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is needed in estate and succession matters when a legal heir or executor who granted a power of attorney to another person to manage the estate under the Succession Act 1925 wishes to withdraw that authority because of disputes among heirs or mismanagement of estate assets.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is required when a company registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) under the Companies Act 2017 revokes a power of attorney previously granted to a company officer or external representative for filing documents with SECP, signing contracts, or representing the company before regulatory authorities.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is needed when a medical power of attorney granted to a family member or healthcare representative needs to be cancelled because the principal has regained mental capacity, the designated healthcare representative is no longer available or willing to act, or the principal has appointed a different representative.

A Revocation of Power of Attorney is required in immigration and consular matters when a Pakistani overseas national who granted a power of attorney to a representative in Pakistan to deal with NADRA, passport applications, property matters, or court proceedings wants to withdraw that authority upon returning permanently to Pakistan or upon appointment of a new representative.

A valid Revocation of Power of Attorney in Pakistan under the Powers of Attorney Act 1882 and the Registration Act 1908 must contain the following essential elements.

Stamp Paper: The revocation deed must be executed on non-judicial stamp paper of the appropriate denomination under the Stamp Act 1899, matching the denomination applicable to the type of power of attorney being revoked. The stamp paper must be purchased from a licensed stamp vendor approved by the provincial Board of Revenue in Punjab, Sindh, KPK, or Balochistan.

Identification of Principal: The full legal name of the principal (donor) exactly as it appears on their NADRA CNIC, the CNIC number (13-digit format), the father's name, residential address, and — if the principal is a company — the SECP registration number and the name and designation of the authorised officer executing the revocation on behalf of the company under a board resolution.

Identification of Original Power of Attorney: The revocation deed must precisely identify the original power of attorney being revoked by stating: the date of execution of the original POA, the registration details (book number, volume number, date, and Sub-Registrar's office) where it was registered under the Registration Act 1908, the name of the attorney (donee/agent), the scope of the original authority (general, special, banking, property), and the specific transactions the original POA authorised.

Revocation Declaration: The operative clause must unequivocally state that the principal hereby revokes, cancels, and withdraws all authority previously granted to the named attorney under the original power of attorney. The clause must state that the attorney is no longer authorised to act on behalf of the principal for any purpose whatsoever from the date of this revocation deed.

Distinction from Coupled-with-Interest Powers: The deed must address — where relevant — that the power of attorney being revoked is a simple agency power and is not a power coupled with an interest under Section 202 of the Contract Act 1872. If the original POA was granted in connection with a loan, mortgage, or security under the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance 2001, the revocation may require lender consent or court approval.

Notice to Agent: The revocation deed should state that a copy of the revocation has been delivered to the attorney by registered post, courier, or personal service, and that the attorney has been notified that their authority is terminated with effect from the date of this deed or from the date of receipt of this notice — whichever is earlier under Section 208 of the Contract Act 1872.

Notice to Third Parties: The deed should identify the third parties to whom revocation notice is being given — named banks, property registries, NADRA, government departments — and state that they have been or will be notified by registered letter not to act on the instructions of the former attorney under the revoked power of attorney.

Registration: Where the original power of attorney was registered under the Registration Act 1908, the revocation deed must also be registered with the same Sub-Registrar's office. The principal must appear personally before the Sub-Registrar or appoint a fresh attorney specifically for the purpose of presenting the revocation deed for registration, producing the original CNIC for identity verification.

Forms-legal.com provides this Revocation of Power of Attorney (Pakistan) template as a practical document for principals wishing to cancel earlier powers of attorney under the Powers of Attorney Act 1882. Principals should obtain legal advice from a qualified advocate enrolled with the Lahore Bar Council, Sindh Bar Council, KPK Bar Council, Balochistan Bar Council, or Islamabad Bar to confirm the revocation is properly registered and all relevant third parties are notified.