Among the very important documents in land record systems and in property transfers is the fard. For many years, FARD has been used to verify property ownership. However, the Government of Punjab has decided to introduce a new document named the Green Property Certificate. The project in which fard being replaced by a green property certificate in Punjab will be conducted at a pilot scale. This article will take you through all the details of the project.
What is Fard
Fard is a document describing land ownership and other essential details. Anyone who wanted to purchase a property checked out at Fard for verification and legality. The government recognized this document with integration into the land record systems. Fard contains information such as the number of owners, share of each owner, survey number, location, etc.
Green Property Certificate
The Punjab government has decided to convert the conventional land record system to a more digital system, as used all around the world. In this attempt, Fard is being replaced by a green property certificate in Punjab. This is a digital document providing more details of land ownership as compared to fard which is a hard document with limited information.
Contents of Green Property Certificate
The green property certificate is introduced with the purpose of not only confirming the ownership status but also providing other key information associated with a certain property. The important points included are:
- Owner or owners of a property
- Who possesses the property
- Any disputes associated with the concerned property
- Ensuring that the owner is eligible to use the property for financial transactions
- Providing info on other legalities associated with the project
Project Authority
The new project is being launched mainly by the Punjab Government and is managed specifically by
- Punjab Land Record Management Authority
- Punjab Board of Revenue
The Launch Process
The project will be carried out as a pilot project in many districts of Punjab, followed by implementation in the whole province till dev 2026. The main districts that are a part of the initial implementation are:
- Sahiwal
- Lodhran
- Hafizabad
| Project Timeline | Area |
|---|---|
| May 1, 2026 | Sahiwal |
| July 1, 2026 | Lodhran |
| July 1, 2026 | Hafizabad |
| Dec, 2026 | Full Punjab |
The project is launched as a pilot project in phases, with the first implementation in Sahiwal, which is a district in Punjab. The project started on May 1, 2026, in Sahiwal. As a part of the project, the issuance of Fard by the PLRA has been stopped; instead, a green property certificate is issued. The green property certificate holds the same legal value as fard in the project area and will be used for property ownership verification.
From July 1, 2026, the project will begin initiation in Lodhran and Hafizabad with completion in Dec, 2026.
| Category | Green Property Certificate | Traditional Fard System |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of Information | Verifies ownership, possession, legal status, and associated rights in one document | Confirms only ownership rights |
| Financial Utility | Confirms eligibility for loans and financial transactions | Limited or unclear financial usability |
| Fraud Prevention | Digital system reduces forgery and illegal transfers | Prone to forged records and corruption |
| Security & Transparency | High transparency with secure, verifiable digital records | Less secure and less transparent |
| Administrative Process | Simplified and efficient verification for legal and financial purposes | Complex and time-consuming processes |
| Legal Clarity | Ensures property is dispute-free and legally clear | Does not fully confirm legal complications |
| Modernization | Fully digital and modern land record system | Based on outdated manual record-keeping practices |
The Replacement of the Fard with the green property certificate in Punjab is a revolutionary step towards the digitization and modernization of land record systems to reduce property scams, document forgery, and bring transparency to the real estate. The project launched in a few districts of Punjab will be implemented in the whole province in a few months. This will generate confidence among investors and homebuyers, ultimately boosting the real estate sector.