The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP) on Thursday restricted the powers of revenue officials (patwaris) in cities. The officials will no longer be authorised to keep record of properties.
Reportedly, the Chief Justice Saqib Nisar issued the directive while hearing a a suo motu notice on the matter.
“The court will not recognise verbal agreements and property deals in urban areas any more where the Punjab Land Revenue Act (LRA) is being followed,” the court remarked.
The top judge said that the property record system in the country was yet to be computerised in Pakistan. “The world has been exploring space and extra-planetary objects,” he said.
“Properties will only be transferred through the Land Revenue Act,” he said, while asking under what law they had been drafting property transfer deeds.
Published in Daily Times, January 4th 2019.
