Fard (Land Record Extract) Application (Pakistan)

A Fard Application in Pakistan records the details required for the process it supports, providing a clear written account that can be relied on.

The Land Revenue Act 1967 is the primary statute governing the preparation, maintenance, and certification of land records in Pakistan. Section 31 of the Act defines the Record of Rights, which includes the Register Haqdaran Zamin (ownership register), the Khewat (owner's register showing ownership shares), the Khatauniyan (cultivators' register), and the Khasra Girdawari (crop inspection register). The Fard issued by revenue authorities is an attested extract from the Register Haqdaran Zamin showing the current ownership of a specific piece of land identified by its Khasra number (survey number), Khata number, and Khewat number within a specific Mauza (revenue village), Patwar Circle, Tehsil, and District.

The Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) was established under the Punjab Land Records Authority Act 2017 to modernize and digitize the land revenue record in Punjab. PLRA operates the Punjab Land Record System (PLRS) and the Arazi Record Centers (ARCs) — sometimes called Service Delivery Centers — located in each Tehsil throughout Punjab, where citizens can apply for and obtain computerized Fards. Punjab's digital land record system contains records for over 50 million parcels across Punjab. Computerized Fards issued by PLRA carry a unique identification number, a digital signature, and a QR code enabling online verification of authenticity at PLRA's website.

In Sindh, land records are maintained by the Board of Revenue Sindh under the Sindh Land Revenue Act 1967 (as adapted). The Sindh government has initiated digitization through the Sindh Land Administration and Revenue Management Information System (LARMIS) project, but the transition to fully digital records is ongoing — many Sindh records still exist only in handwritten registers maintained by Patwaris. In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, land records are maintained under the KPK Land Revenue Act 1967 (as adapted), with digitization progressing through the KPK Land Records Management and Information System (LRMIS). In Balochistan, land records remain largely in manual form maintained by Patwaris under the Balochistan Land Revenue Act 1967 (as adapted).

A Fard is routinely required for property sale transactions to confirm the seller's title before execution of a sale deed registered under the Registration Act 1908. Banks and financial institutions — including commercial banks regulated by SBP and Housing Finance Companies supervised by SBP and SECP — require a current Fard (not more than 30 days old) as a prerequisite for processing mortgage or agricultural loan applications. Courts in property disputes, inheritance proceedings, and partition suits require authenticated Fards as primary evidence of ownership. NADRA uses Fard records to verify addresses during CNIC issuance for rural Pakistanis. Revenue authorities use mutation registers (Intiqal) in conjunction with the Fard to record transfers of ownership.

A Fard Application in Pakistan is needed in a wide range of property, legal, and financial situations where official confirmation of land ownership and encumbrance status is required.

A Fard Application is needed before purchasing agricultural or urban land in Pakistan. Prospective buyers require a Fard to verify that the seller is the registered owner of the property, to identify all co-owners and their proportionate shares in the Khewat, and to confirm whether any encumbrance — such as a mortgage (Rehn) or attachment (Tasaruf) — has been recorded in favour of a bank or creditor. Executing a sale deed without a clean Fard exposes the buyer to the risk of purchasing disputed or encumbered property.

A Fard Application is required when applying for an agricultural loan or mortgage-backed credit facility from a commercial bank, the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL — formerly Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan), or a microfinance institution licensed by SBP. The lender requires an authenticated Fard to assess the value of the land being offered as collateral and to verify the borrower's ownership and the absence of prior encumbrances under the Financial Institutions (Recovery of Finances) Ordinance 2001.

A Fard Application is needed when initiating a mutation (Intiqal) of land ownership following a sale, gift, inheritance, or court decree. The Revenue Officer (Patwari) at the relevant Patwar Circle requires the existing Fard as the starting point for the mutation process before recording the new ownership in the Register Haqdaran Zamin.

A Fard Application is required when filing a civil suit for partition of jointly owned agricultural land before the District Court or the Revenue Court under the Partition Act 1893 and the Land Revenue Act 1967. The plaint must annex a current Fard identifying all co-owners and their shares in the property.

A Fard Application is needed when a legal heir seeks a succession certificate or letter of administration from the District Court following the death of a landowner. The court requires a Fard showing the deceased's ownership to determine the estate's composition and the inheritance shares of the legal heirs under Islamic law as applied through the West Pakistan Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act 1962.

A Fard Application is required when a developer or housing society applies to the relevant Development Authority (Lahore Development Authority, Karachi Development Authority, Capital Development Authority in Islamabad) for approval of a layout plan or change of land use from agricultural to residential — the authority requires a current Fard to verify that the applicant owns the land proposed for development.

Under Pakistani law, the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 is the supreme law. The Contract Act 1872 governs contractual obligations. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) administers tax under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The High Courts have original and appellate jurisdiction. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) handles identity documentation. The Federal Shariat Court reviews laws for Islamic compliance.

A valid Fard Application in Pakistan under the Land Revenue Act 1967 and the Punjab Land Records Authority Act 2017 (or the equivalent provincial legislation) must contain the following essential elements to enable the revenue authority to locate the correct land record and issue an authenticated Fard.

Applicant Details: Full name of the applicant as it appears on their NADRA CNIC, the CNIC number (13-digit format), and the applicant's complete postal address including house number, street, Mohalla/Colony, Tehsil, and District. The applicant need not be the landowner — any person with a legitimate interest in the land record (prospective buyer, lawyer, bank representative, court official) may apply for a Fard.

Land Identification Particulars: The Fard Application must identify the land with precision using the revenue record identifiers: Khasra Number (the unique survey number assigned to each parcel of land in the Mauza), Khewat Number (the ownership account number in the Register Haqdaran Zamin), and where known, the Khatauni Number (the cultivation account number) and the Khasra Girdawari number. Without accurate Khasra numbers, the Patwari or PLRA officer cannot locate the correct entry in the land record.

Mauza and Administrative Unit: The name of the Mauza (revenue village), the Patwar Circle, the Tehsil, and the District in which the land is situated. Punjab, Sindh, KPK, and Balochistan each have their own administrative hierarchies of revenue villages, Patwar Circles, Tehsils, and Districts mapped in the land record system.

Purpose of Application: A brief statement of the purpose for which the Fard is required — e.g. for mortgage application, for sale transaction verification, for court submission, for mutation purposes, or for personal record. The purpose determines the type of Fard required: Fard-e-Malkiat (ownership certificate), Fard-e-Jamabandi (revenue settlement record), or Fard-e-Khasra (crop and cultivation record).

Fees Payment: The prescribed fee for issuance of a Fard must be paid at the time of application. At PLRA Arazi Record Centers in Punjab, the fee is collected through the designated payment mechanism (bank challan or online payment through the Punjab Government's IT platform) and the payment receipt must be attached to the application. The fee varies by the type of Fard and the number of Khasra numbers included.

In Punjab, computerized Fards can also be applied for online through PLRA's website or the Punjab Sohulat Ghar (One Stop Shop) service, and can be verified digitally using the QR code printed on the Fard against PLRA's online verification portal. Forms-legal.com provides this Fard Application template as a practical guide for landowners, buyers, and legal practitioners dealing with Pakistani land transactions. Revenue law in Pakistan requires careful verification by a qualified Advocate or a licensed Revenue Practitioner (Patwari Consultant) to confirm that the Khasra numbers and Mauza details are accurate before submission, as errors in the application delay issuance and may result in a Fard for the wrong parcel of land.

Encumbrance Search: When applying for a Fard for the purpose of a property transaction or mortgage, the applicant should simultaneously request a search of the Intiqal (mutation) register to verify that no recent transfer, mortgage, or attachment has been recorded that would not yet appear on the Fard. The Intiqal register and the Fard together provide a complete picture of the land's current legal status.

Additional compliance elements for a Fard (Land Record Extract) Application (Pakistan) used in Pakistan include: Under Pakistani law, the Constitution of Pakistan 1973 is the supreme law. The Contract Act 1872 governs contractual obligations. The Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) administers tax under the Income Tax Ordinance 2001. The High Courts have original and appellate jurisdiction. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) handles identity documentation. The Federal Shariat Court reviews laws for Islamic compliance. Forms-legal.com provides this template as a starting point for Pakistan-compliant documentation.