Patwari dictionary: property and land record terms

Pakistan's land records and property deals use words from the revenue system, the law and the market. This dictionary explains each one in plain English, gives the Urdu word, and quotes the law where a statute defines the term. Where no law defines a word, we say so and describe how it is used.

Urdu spellings are as commonly written in Urdu newspapers. Legal definitions are quoted from the official or published text of each law, checked on 21 October 2026.

Fard (فرد ملکیت)

A commonly used term, not a legal one.

A fard is a certified extract from the land record showing who owns a piece of land, their shares and the khasra numbers. You need one before a sale, a mortgage or a mutation. The Punjab Land Revenue Act never uses the word. What it does say is that certified extracts of land records "shall be given to all persons applying for the same", and that an officer holding the computerised record "shall give to every person, on demand, certified extracts" for the prescribed fee. PLRA calls the extract it issues a "Fard": in Punjab you can get one from PLRA, and in KP through e-Fard.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 177; PLRA, What is Fard.

Jamabandi (جمع بندی)

A commonly used term, not a legal one.

The jamabandi is the periodic register of who owns and occupies the land in a revenue estate, their shares, and the revenue payable. The Punjab Land Revenue Act does not use the word. The closest thing in the Act is the "periodical record": the computerised edition of the record-of-rights, which the Act says "shall be called the periodical record for an estate". It lists "the persons who are land-owners, tenants" and "the nature and extent of the interests of those persons".

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, sections 39(2) and 41-B(2).

Intiqal or mutation (انتقال)

A mutation is the entry that changes the owner's name in the land record after a sale, gift or inheritance. The buyer or heir must report the change: a person acquiring "any right in an estate as a land-owner" must, "within three months from the date of such acquisition, report his acquisition of right to the Patwari". Once the Board of Revenue has notified the start of an estate's computerised record, the report goes instead "to the Arazi Record Centre", within the same three months. Registering a sale deed does not by itself update the record, so check that the mutation is entered.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, sections 41-A(2), 42 and 42-A.

Khasra (خسرہ)

A khasra number identifies one parcel of land in the revenue record. The law defines a "survey number" or "Khasra number" as "a portion of land of which the area is separately entered under an indicative number in the record-of-rights". Always match the khasra numbers in the fard with those in the sale deed.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 4(25).

Khewat (کھیوٹ)

The khewat is the ownership account in the record of rights, grouping the owners of land who share a holding. It is one of the numbers printed on a fard. The Land Revenue Act does not define the term.

Source: usage in the Punjab record of rights.

Khatauni (کھتونی)

The khatauni is the cultivation account in the record of rights, showing who cultivates each khasra. It appears with the khewat and khasra numbers on a fard. The Land Revenue Act does not define the term.

Source: usage in the Punjab record of rights.

Mauza (موضع)

A mauza is a revenue village, the basic unit for which land records are kept. The law uses the word "estate", meaning any area "for which a separate record-of-rights has been made". In everyday use a mauza is that revenue estate.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 4(9) (estate).

Girdawari (گرداوری)

Girdawari is the patwari's crop inspection, recorded for each khasra in the kharif and rabi seasons, noting the crop and who cultivates it. The Land Revenue Act does not define the word.

Source: usage in the Punjab revenue system.

Aks shajra

The aks shajra is a copy of the field map (shajra) of a mauza, showing the shape and position of each khasra. The record of rights must include "a map of the estate". Buyers use it to check that the land on the ground matches the khasra numbers.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 39(2) (map of the estate).

Patwari (پٹواری)

The patwari is the village revenue official who keeps the land records for a group of mauzas and enters mutations. The law says "Patwari" includes "a Tapedar". In Punjab, many record services have moved to Arazi Record Centres.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, sections 4(17) and 42.

Qanungo

The qanungo (spelled "Kanungo" in the law) supervises patwaris and checks their records. The law says "Kanungo" includes "a supervising Tapedar".

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 4(11).

Tehsildar (تحصیلدار)

The tehsildar is the chief revenue officer of a tehsil. The law says: "The chief officer entrusted with the local revenue administration of a Tehsil shall be called the Tehsildar."

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 11.

Arazi Record Centre (اراضی ریکارڈ سنٹر)

An Arazi Record Centre (ARC) is a PLRA service centre in Punjab where you can get a fard, apply for a mutation or a Green Property Certificate. The law defines it as "an office, service centre or facility established or notified in terms of section 17" of the PLRA Act.

Source: Punjab Land Records Authority Act 2017, section 2(1)(a); Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 4(1a).

Marla (مرلہ)

A marla is a unit of land area, and its size in square feet varies. LDA's regulations define it as "225 sq.ft. ... in case of Lahore District and 272 sq.ft. ... in other Districts of Punjab". A 272.25 sq ft marla is also in common use, and some places use other values, so check the plot's dimensions on the allotment letter or site plan.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1, definitions.

Kanal (کنال)

A kanal is 20 marlas. Its size in square feet therefore depends on the marla used: 4,500 sq ft at 225 sq ft a marla, or 5,445 sq ft at 272.25.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1 ("Kanal: means a size of land equal to 20 marlas").

Acre (ایکڑ)

An acre is 43,560 sq ft, or 4,840 square yards. LDA's regulations define it this way and equate it to 9.68 kanals, on the 225 sq ft marla.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1.

Square yard

A square yard is 9 sq ft. Karachi and Islamabad plots are often sold in square yards (for example 120, 240 or 500 sq yd) rather than marlas.

Source: standard unit conversion.

Registry or sale deed (رجسٹری)

The registry is the registered sale deed that transfers ownership. A sale of immovable property worth Rs100 or more "can be made only by a registered instrument", and registration is compulsory for such transfers.

Source: Transfer of Property Act 1882, section 54; Registration Act 1908, section 17.

Sub-registrar

The sub-registrar is the government officer before whom deeds are registered. Buyer, seller and witnesses appear in person. The Registration Act empowers the provincial government to appoint registrars and sub-registrars.

Source: Registration Act 1908, section 6.

E-stamp (ای سٹامپ)

An e-stamp is a computer-generated stamp paper, used in Punjab instead of physical stamp paper to pay stamp duty. You can verify an e-stamp on the Punjab e-Stamp portal.

Source: Punjab e-Stamp portal, "Verification Through Web".

Stamp duty

Stamp duty is the provincial tax on the deed, paid through an e-stamp or stamp paper. It is charged under the Stamp Act 1899 at rates each province sets. In Punjab, a sale deed for property outside an urban area pays 1% of the value since the Stamp (Amendment) Act 2026 took effect on 6 May 2026. For urban property the Act still says 2%, set by the Punjab Finance Act 2022, while the April 2026 ordinance's statement of reasons says urban property is charged 1%; we could not confirm which applies. Unless the parties agree otherwise, Punjab's section 29(c) has the duty on a conveyance borne "by the grantee and grantor in equal shares".

Source: Stamp Act 1899 as applied in Punjab, section 29(c) and Schedule I, Article 23; Stamp (Amendment) Act 2026; Stamp (Amendment) Ordinance 2026, Statement of Objects and Reasons; Punjab e-Stamp portal.

DC rate (ڈی سی ریٹ)

The DC rate is the official value per marla or square foot, set by the district collector for stamp duty purposes. You can calculate it on PLRA's "Calculate DC Valuation" service. Where the FBR has not notified a value for an area, income tax law uses this value.

Source: Income Tax Ordinance 2001, section 68(5); PLRA.

FBR value

The FBR value is the fair market value the Federal Board of Revenue notifies for each area. The value used for the taxes on a sale (236C) and purchase (236K) "shall not be less than" this value, so they are charged on the price or the FBR value, whichever is higher.

Source: Income Tax Ordinance 2001, section 68(4) and (6); FBR valuation tables.

236C

236C is the advance income tax collected from the seller when a property transfer is registered. The registering officer must "collect from the seller or transferor advance tax". From 1 July 2026 the rate for filers is 2.75% of the price, or of the FBR value if that is higher.

Source: Income Tax Ordinance 2001, section 236C; Finance Act 2026.

236K

236K is the advance income tax collected from the buyer at registration. From 1 July 2026 the rate for filers is 1.25% of the fair market value, which can't be less than the FBR value.

Source: Income Tax Ordinance 2001, section 236K; Finance Act 2026.

Filer (Active Taxpayer)

A filer is a person on the FBR's Active Taxpayers List, which the FBR describes as "a central record of online Income Tax Return filers". Non-filers pay much higher 236C and 236K rates. You can check by sending "ATL (space) CNIC" to 9966.

Source: FBR Active Taxpayers List.

Power of attorney (مختار نامہ)

A power of attorney lets someone act for the owner, for example to sell or buy a property. For stamp duty, it includes "any instrument ... empowering a specified person to act for and in the name of the person executing it". A power of attorney made abroad must be authenticated, for example by a Pakistani consul or through NADRA's online service.

Source: Stamp Act 1899, section 2(21); Registration Act 1908, sections 32 and 33.

Hiba or gift (ہبہ)

A hiba is a gift of property without payment. A gift is "the transfer of certain existing moveable or immoveable property made voluntarily and without consideration", and an instrument of gift of immovable property must be registered. The Transfer of Property Act's gifts chapter does not "affect any rule of Muslim law", under which the Sindh High Court has held that a gift needs an offer, an acceptance and delivery of possession. In Punjab, the Board of Revenue has barred mutations based on an oral gift, Dawn reported on 1 January 2026.

Source: Transfer of Property Act 1882, sections 122 and 129; Registration Act 1908, section 17(1)(a); Sindh High Court, R.A. No. 182 of 2016, 3 April 2018; Dawn, 1 January 2026.

Wirasat or inheritance mutation (وراثت)

Wirasat is the transfer of land to heirs after the owner's death, entered in the record as an inheritance mutation. Heirs must report it like any other acquisition. To work out each heir's share first, use the inheritance calculator.

Source: Punjab Land Revenue Act 1967, section 42 (acquisition "by inheritance").

Qabza (قبضہ)

Qabza means possession. In everyday use, qabza also means illegal occupation of someone else's land (land grabbing). In a sale, delivery of possession happens "when the seller places the buyer ... in possession of the property".

Source: Transfer of Property Act 1882, section 54.

Plot file

A plot file is a housing scheme's paper allotment of a plot, often sold before the plot is identified on the ground. A file is only as good as the scheme's approved land and its records. In Lahore schemes, LDA says only PLRA's Property Certificate is valid ownership proof from 1 July 2026.

Source: LDA public notice, 8 June 2026; our PLRA property certificate explainer.

Allotment letter

An allotment letter is the document a development authority or housing scheme issues to the first owner of a plot. Later owners hold a transfer letter. Banks list it among the title documents for a home loan.

Source: SBP Annexure B, standardised documentation for housing finance (October 2026).

Possession letter

A possession letter confirms that the authority or scheme has handed over the plot. Banks list a possession certificate or letter among the documents for a home loan.

Source: SBP Annexure B, standardised documentation for housing finance (October 2026).

NDC (no demand certificate)

An NDC confirms that no dues are outstanding on a plot, and schemes require it before a transfer.

Source: scheme transfer procedures (for example CDA's transfer procedure lists dues clearance).

NOC

An NOC (no objection certificate) is permission from an authority. For a private housing scheme in Islamabad, CDA says sponsors "can start development work and sale of plots after obtaining NOC from CDA".

Source: CDA illegal housing schemes page.

LOP (layout plan)

The LOP is the approved layout plan of a housing scheme, showing its plots, roads and amenities. In Islamabad, an approved LOP is the first step and an NOC the second, so an approved LOP alone does not allow sales.

Source: CDA private housing schemes.

Property Certificate

In Lahore housing schemes, the Property Certificate is a PLRA-issued ownership document with a QR code. LDA says it is the only valid ownership document from 1 July 2026.

Source: LDA public notice, 8 June 2026.

Green Property Certificate

The Green Property Certificate is a PLRA document that verifies the ownership and legal status of a property. It was made mandatory for transactions in Punjab on 1 July 2026, then made optional again in July 2026.

Source: PLRA; Daily Pakistan, 11 July 2026.

FAR (floor area ratio)

FAR limits how much you can build. LDA defines it as "the aggregate covered area of a building or buildings (excluding the area under covered parking) on a plot divided by the total area of the plot".

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1.

Ground coverage

Ground coverage is "the percentage of the plot area that can be covered at the ground floor", for example 70% for a 10 marla plot in an LDA-approved scheme.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1 and section 2.2.3.

Mandatory open spaces

Mandatory open spaces are "the spaces required by these Regulations to be left open at ground level around the building". These are what people usually mean by front, rear and side setbacks.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1.

Setback

In LDA's regulations, a setback is not the open space around a house. It is "an area to be surrendered for road widening as per approved scheme/plan". In everyday use, people say setback for the mandatory open spaces.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1.

Basement

A basement is "the lowest part of a building, partly or completely below ground level". In Lahore it counts towards FAR; in Islamabad (CDA) it does not.

Source: LDA Building and Zoning Regulations 2019, chapter 1 and section 2.2.3; CDA Building Control Regulations 2020, section 2.6.1.