Punjab's land registry is held in the PLRA database (lrmis.punjab.gov.pk) and is publicly accessible — any property's current ownership, share structure, and registered encumbrances can be verified by anyone using the khasra number, khewat number, or owner name.

Pakistan's Land Registration System — What It Does and Doesn't Guarantee

PLRA's land registry records ownership as registered — but registration is not absolute title guarantee in Pakistan's legal system. A fraudulently executed sale deed that gets registered is still a registered deed. A property can appear clean in the registry and still have competing claims. This is why property transactions in Pakistan require multiple layers of due diligence beyond just checking the Fard — legal title search, physical possession verification, and PLRA record cross-check against the actual physical property and its history.

Step 1

Access the PLRA Land Registry Portal

Punjab's land registry is managed by the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) through its online portal at lrmis.punjab.gov.pk. The portal is publicly accessible — you don't need to be the property owner to run a basic check. Navigate to the property search or Fard section and enter the relevant details: district, tehsil, mouza, and either the owner's name or the property identifier (khasra number or khewat number).

Step 2

Understand the Land Record Output

A Punjab land registry extract (Fard) shows several key pieces of information: Khewat number: The ownership register entry number for the property's title chain. Khatoni number: The cultivation/possession record number. Khasra number: The individual plot identifier within a mouza. Owner details: Full registered owner name with their CNIC and their share in the property (in fractions if jointly owned). Encumbrance column: Any registered mortgages, court orders, or caveats against the property.

Step 3

Verify Ownership Before Any Transaction

For any property purchase: run the registry check on the day of the transaction — not days or weeks before, as records change after each mutation. Confirm the seller's full name and CNIC exactly match the registered owner on the Fard. If the property is jointly owned, confirm all co-owners are party to the sale. If the registered owner is deceased, ensure the inheritance mutation has been processed and the current heirs are the registered owners before proceeding.

Step 4

Check Encumbrances and Legal Status

The encumbrance section of the land registry extract is the most critical for buyers. Any entry here indicates: a bank or financial institution has a registered mortgage against the property; a court has ordered a freeze or attachment on the property; or another party has filed a caveat claiming a competing ownership interest. None of these can be ignored — each requires resolution before a legal sale can proceed. Contact the registered encumbrance holder to understand the specific obligation and the process for its removal.

Registration and Documentation Problems

Land registry shows a previous owner — current owner says sale happened

The sale may not have been properly registered as a mutation in PLRA's system. Ask for documentary evidence of the mutation (intiqal) processing or check for a pending mutation entry at the local revenue office.

Registry shows the property in the seller's father's name — father is deceased

An inheritance mutation must be processed first to transfer the registry entries to the legal heirs. Don't complete a purchase until the mutation is done and the current legal owners are correctly reflected in PLRA.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes — basic property record lookup on lrmis.punjab.gov.pk is free. Fees apply only for certified Fard issuance at Arazi Record Centres.

PLRA covers Punjab province. Islamabad is administered federally by the Capital Development Authority (CDA). KP, Sindh, and Balochistan have their own provincial land record systems.

Pakistan's courts regularly hear cases of property fraud — you have legal recourse, but litigation is lengthy and expensive. Prevention is dramatically cheaper: engage a property lawyer before purchase for a title search, verify the seller's identity independently, and never pay the full amount before completion of Sub-Registrar registration and mutation. Paying advance amounts before verified title is the largest risk factor in Pakistani property fraud.

Yes — PLRA's lrmis.punjab.gov.pk is a public portal. Anyone can look up any property record using the khasra number, khewat number, or owner name. This is by design: public land records reduce fraud by making records verifiable by anyone, not just the registered owner. Privacy of the general public outweighs in the PLRA system, which is why it's freely searchable.

Yes — PLRA covers both urban and rural Punjab land records, including agricultural land across all districts. This is different from some other registration systems that only cover urban properties. Agricultural land in Punjab is registered in PLRA's system through the same mouza-based Fard system, though some very recent land conversions (agricultural to residential) may have delays in the record update.