Fard has been restored in areas in Punjab that have not yet shifted to digitalization. This means that the eligible areas will be exempted from the use of the Green Property Certificate until the required system update occurs. 

The Punjab government has officially restored the issuance of Fard in areas where land records have not yet been digitized, reversing a suspension because of which many buyers and sellers were stuck mid-transaction. According to a notification issued by the Board of Revenue, property transfers in these eligible areas can again be carried out by using a traditional Fard or a certified copy of the official land record, eliminating the need for the recently introduced Green Property Certificate (GPC). 

Why is Fard Restored?

The restoration has occured just weeks after Punjab started replacing Fard with a fully digital certification system. Key points from the new notification are:

• Fard will now be issued only in areas where land records have not been digitized yet.
• Buyers and sellers in these non-digitized zones no longer need a Green Property Certificate to complete a sale or transfer.
• Land and other immovable property can be transferred using a Fard or a certified land record copy, just as before the suspension.
• The Green Property Certificate remains mandatory in areas that already fall under the new digital framework.

Why Did Green Property Certificae Replaced Fard?

Punjab's land reform campaign began earlier this year with a pilot in Sahiwal district, where the Board of Revenue suspended the issuance of Fard starting May 1 under Rule 36-A of the Punjab Land Record Authority Rules, 1968. This plan was meant to extend to Lodhran and Hafizabad from July 1, with the entire province transitioning by December 2026. The goal was to reduce forged ownership documents, prevent illegal transfers, and close verification gaps that a basic Fard couldn't address.

Why was Restoration of Fard Needed?

The rapid reversal was a result of a practical problem which is that much of Punjab's land record data simply isn't digitized yet. Citizens in non-computerized and manual mouzas were unable to obtain any valid ownership document at all once Fard issuance was suspended, since the Green Property Certificate system depends on digitized records to function. With no clear alternative in place for these areas, the government moved to restore Fard rather than leave residents without a way to transfer property. 

What to Expect from This Decision?

• If your property falls in a non-digitized area, you can proceed with a Fard-based transaction as usual i.e. no GPC required.
• If your property is in a district or zone already covered by the digital framework, the Green Property Certificate is still mandatory.
• It's important to check with your local Arazi Record Center (ARC) or the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) to confirm which category your property falls under before starting a transaction.
• The broader digitization push isn't cancelled it simply means that Punjab still intends to shift the entire province to the Green Property Certificate system, just on a more gradual, area-by-area basis.

The current decision to restore Fard by Punjab government is a breeze of cool air for buyers and sellers after which they no longer require a Green Property Certificate in their transactions. This decision provides ease in those areas where land record system has not been digitized yet and so reduces frustration in real estate market who were not able to obtain a GPC due to non-digitized system while fard was suspended.