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Property is at the heart of everything we do at Chakor. This section brings together listings, insights, market analysis, and expert perspectives on Pakistan’s property landscape, helping buyers, sellers, and investors navigate one of the country’s most dynamic asset classes.

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Green Property Certificate
CategoriesNews Property Property Laws

Green Property Certificate No Longer Mandatory in Punjab

LAHORE: The Punjab government has rolled back its recently introduced requirement that property buyers and sellers obtain a Green Property Certificate (GPC) before completing land transactions, restoring the traditional Fard, or Record of Rights, as a valid transactional document across most of the province.

The reversal was formalised through a notification issued by the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), invoking its powers under the Punjab Land Records Authority Act, 2017. The order declares the “Naqal Arazi Record” a legally recognised document for property transactions, effectively ending the compulsory GPC regime introduced just weeks earlier.

The Green Property Certificate became mandatory on July 1, 2026, for all sales, purchases, mortgages, gifts, and other transfers of immovable property in Punjab. It was billed as a flagship reform meant to digitise and modernise the province’s land administration system, gradually replacing the long-standing Fard-e-Bai. 

To implement it, the PLRA deployed teams of surveyors, five per tehsil, and fifty across Lahore’s ten tehsils, tasked with physically verifying ownership and location before certificates could be issued, following a mandatory 15-day public objection period.

Officials say the rollback does not eliminate the GPC system entirely. Instead, its scope has been narrowed: the certificate will remain mandatory only in areas where land records have already been digitised, while manual Fard issuance resumes in regions where digitisation is not yet complete.

The abrupt policy shift, coming barely ten days after the certificate’s mandatory rollout, has raised questions about the pace and readiness of Punjab’s digital land-record transition. Authorities have not indicated whether the GPC will eventually be reinstated province-wide once digitisation is completed in remaining districts.

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Lahore HC Protects Overseas Pakistanis
CategoriesNews Property Property Laws Real Estate

Lahore HC Protects Overseas Pakistanis from Prolonged Litigation Under 2024 Act

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court has ruled that final judicial orders cannot be nullified through subsequently obtained ex parte decrees, reinforcing statutory safeguards for overseas Pakistanis in property disputes.

Justice Jawad Hassan, presiding over the matter Javed Masih v. Amar Javed (Writ Petition No. 2345 of 2026, decided 24-06-2026), held that a litigant cannot obstruct the execution of orders that have already attained finality by later securing an ex parte decree through collateral proceedings, particularly when that decree’s operation remains suspended.

The Court further observed that repeated attempts to frustrate final orders constitute an abuse of the process of law and do not warrant interference under constitutional jurisdiction.

The dispute originated from an ejectment petition filed by the petitioner against Respondent 2, based on an alleged sale deed. This was initially accepted by the Special Judge, Rent Court, but was subsequently set aside after Respondent 1 claimed lawful ownership through a registered sale deed and challenged it. 

The Special Court then directed the petitioner to hand over possession, an order the petitioner unsuccessfully contested before later obtaining an ex parte decree from the Civil Court, Rawalpindi, in an attempt to resist enforcement.

In its judgment, the Court examined the framework of the Overseas Pakistanis Property Act, 2024, noting that Sections 9 to 12 establish a comprehensive mechanism for the expeditious adjudication and enforcement of property rights of overseas Pakistanis, who often face significant hardship in litigating from abroad. The Court emphasised that their contribution to the national economy through remittances underscores the importance of timely justice in such matters.

Finding no illegality or jurisdictional defect in the Special Court’s order, the High Court declined to interfere and upheld the dismissal of the petitioner’s objections, effectively closing off further attempts to delay execution of the possession order.

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Divorced Women 50% Property Share
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Laws

Lawmakers Split Over Bill Granting Divorced Women 50% Property Share

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Religious Affairs held a heated debate this week over a proposed law that would entitle divorced women to a 50 percent share in their former husband’s property, ultimately deciding to seek guidance from the Council of Islamic Ideology before proceeding further. The session, chaired by Senator Atta-ur-Rehman, took place at Parliament House.

The private member’s bill, introduced by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, seeks to provide financial protection to women, particularly those who have spent decades in marriage supporting their households without independent income.

Zafar argued that many divorced women, especially after unions lasting 40 years or more, are left without adequate housing or financial security despite years of unpaid domestic labour.

His proposal would allow a clause to be inserted into marriage contracts granting the wife a 50 percent property share upon divorce, citing comparable legal frameworks in Iran, Syria, Libya, Jordan, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, and India.

The bill drew mixed reactions. Senator Bushra Anjum Butt argued that husbands’ financial interests should also be safeguarded in cases where wives are the stronger earners. Senator Hafiz Abdul Karim rejected the bill as currently framed, insisting that legislation should be grounded in Islamic principles rather than Western models, maintaining that Islam already affords women adequate protections.

However, Senator Sarmad Ali pushed back, cautioning against assuming Turkish or Iranian laws are inherently un-Islamic, while Senator Dinesh Kumar pointed out that similar protections already exist under Hindu personal law in Pakistan.

Committee chairman Atta-ur-Rehman reiterated that no legislation could contradict the Quran and Sunnah, a position echoed by Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousuf, who supported referring the matter to the Council of Islamic Ideology. The committee will either forward the bill for religious review or invite Council representatives to its next session before reaching a final decision.

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Asset Management Authority
CategoriesNews Developments Property Urban Developments & Planning

CM Punjab Sets Up Asset Management Authority to Curb Encroachment, Boost Revenue

LAHORE: CM Punjab has approved the establishment of AMAP, a newly proposed institution tasked with centralising the identification, management, and utilisation of the province’s assets. The decision was announced following a high-level meeting chaired by the chief minister on Monday.

According to officials familiar with the plan, the Asset Management Authority of Punjab (AMAP) will serve as the province’s primary regulatory body for government-owned land and public property, consolidating functions that have historically been scattered across multiple departments.

Its mandate will include overseeing the transfer, disposal, valuation, and marketing of provincial assets, with a particular focus on properties identified as having strong investment or privatisation potential.

To generate revenue, the authority is expected to employ a range of financial mechanisms, including leasing arrangements, rental agreements, public-private partnerships, and joint ventures. Officials said the approach is designed to maximise returns on underutilised government property while attracting private investment into asset development.

During the meeting, the chief minister directed relevant departments to accelerate revenue generation through the sale, lease, and collateral-based financing of provincial assets. She noted that the absence of a single, dedicated institution to regulate Punjab’s assets had left substantial public land vulnerable to illegal encroachment and mismanagement, underscoring the need for a more coordinated regulatory framework.

In terms of structure, AMAP will operate under a governing board headed by the provincial chief secretary, while daily operations will be managed by an officer of BPS-20 rank.

The authority will also induct private-sector professionals on a merit basis, reflecting an effort to bring specialised commercial expertise into asset management decisions.

Officials clarified that all major decisions regarding the transfer, valuation, or long-term management of assets will require formal approval from the provincial cabinet, adding an additional layer of oversight.

The move is seen as part of a broader push by the current Punjab administration to reform governance structures and improve fiscal discipline across state institutions.

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Women’s Property Inheritance Rights
CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Laws

Supreme Court Reaffirms Women’s Property Inheritance Rights in 71-Year-Old Land Dispute

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has restored the property inheritance rights of female heirs in a decades-old land dispute, delivering a judgment underscoring that inheritance of ancestral property is a vested legal and religious right, not something that can be surrendered through informal family arrangements.

The dispute traces back to 1955, when, following the death of the parties’ father, two brothers transferred the family’s inherited property into their own names. They claimed their mother and sisters had orally gifted away their share of the ancestral land.

Appellant Noor Muhammad challenged this claim, arguing the so-called gift was a fabricated device to strip female heirs of their legitimate property inheritance. For decades, the trial court, appellate court, and high court upheld the brothers’ claim, leaving the sisters excluded from land that was rightfully theirs.

A two-judge Supreme Court bench, comprising Justices Shahid Bilal Hassan and Shakeel Ahmad, reversed these findings, declaring all prior judgments void and ordering revenue authorities to correct the land record so the sisters’ property inheritance is formally recognised.

The Court ruled that the burden of proving an oral gift lies with those who benefit from it, not with female heirs seeking their inheritance, and reiterated that a valid gift requires clear declaration, acceptance, and delivery of possession. Importantly, it held that revenue mutations serve fiscal record-keeping purposes only and cannot, by themselves, transfer or extinguish property inheritance rights.

The Court also found no unjustified delay in the claim, noting that the sisters had continued to receive income shares from the land for years, indicating no knowledge of the exclusion.

Anchoring its ruling in constitutional guarantees of equality and property rights, alongside Islamic principles, the Court characterised the deprivation of women’s inheritance of property as an entrenched social issue that demands effective enforcement, not just legal recognition on paper.

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CategoriesProperty Property Laws Property Taxes Real Estate Real Estate Investment Urban Developments & Planning

Why Lahore is Emerging as Pakistan’s Next FDI hub?

For decades, conversations about foreign direct investment in Pakistan have centred almost exclusively on Karachi and Islamabad. That narrative is shifting. Lahore, Pakistan’s cultural capital and economic heartland of Punjab, is rapidly carving out its own identity as a destination for serious, long-term foreign capital. The signals are converging: government-backed infrastructure, a maturing real estate builders market, and now, landmark private-sector investment events that are putting the city on the radar of global investors.

Pakistan’s FDI Trajectory: The Foundation Is Being Laid

Before examining Lahore specifically, it is worth understanding the broader economic backdrop. Pakistan’s total FDI reached approximately $2.567 billion in 2024, a 25% jump from the year prior, and the highest level since 2017. The construction and real estate sectors attracted a significant share of that inflow.

At the same time, the State Bank of Pakistan‘s benchmark interest rate came down sharply from a peak of nearly 22% in 2023, easing the cost of financing and injecting renewed confidence into the investment environment.

This is not a coincidence. The government has been working to make Pakistan’s investment climate more structured and transparent, from FBR valuation revisions in Lahore to REIT-friendly tax exemptions in the federal budget. The reforms are modest in isolation, but together they signal an intent to formalise a market that international investors have historically found opaque.

The real estate sector specifically is projected to grow at 8–10% annually over the next five years. Rental yields in Lahore, Islamabad, and Karachi are running at 5–7%, competitive against regional benchmarks and considerably better than saturated markets like Dubai, where yields have compressed to a similar range but at far higher entry costs.

Why Lahore, and Why Now

Lahore is Pakistan’s second-largest city and the provincial capital of Punjab, the country’s most populous and economically productive province. It houses a concentration of manufacturing, services, retail, and education that no other Pakistani city outside Karachi can match.

Yet until recently, its real estate market, particularly in the premium and commercial segments, remained largely underdeveloped relative to its economic weight.

That is changing fast, driven by two parallel forces.

The first is the emergence of Lahore’s Central Business District. The Punjab Central Business District Development Authority (PCBDDA) has undertaken a government-backed urban regeneration initiative spanning over 105 hectares in the heart of the city, along the Gulberg Main Boulevard and Ferozepur Road corridor.

The project, designed around vertical growth, smart infrastructure, and mixed-use zoning, has already generated over PKR 35.89 billion in revenue through the auction of commercial plots alone. 

With a preliminary investment estimate ranging between PKR 2,700 billion and PKR 3,000 billion, it represents the most ambitious urban development undertaking in Punjab’s history.

Towers in the 500–700 feet range are planned. International-grade office space, luxury residences, retail podiums, and green mobility infrastructure are all part of the blueprint.

Gulberg itself, immediately adjacent to the CBD zone, is already among Pakistan’s most commercially valuable addresses. It serves as the operational hub for banks, multinationals, professional services firms, and luxury retail. The CBD development is effectively the formal next chapter of what Gulberg has been building organically for four decades.

The second force is private-sector momentum. Developers are increasingly committing capital to premium integrated projects in and around this corridor, projects that combine residences, corporate offices, and curated retail under one address, designed for an urban professional class that is growing in both size and purchasing sophistication.

Chakor’s $200 Million FDI Signing: A Signal, Not Just a Headline

In June 2026, Pakistan’s leading real estate developer Chakor concluded a landmark FDI signing with OLAE, a Portuguese investor delegation, at the Chakor Global Initiative event in Islamabad.

The signing formalised a combined European investment commitment of 200 million USD across two Chakor development projects, one of which is Citadel Prime, Chakor’s flagship mixed-use tower in CBD Lahore.

This is significant on multiple levels.

First, it is a European capital entering Pakistan’s real estate sector, a segment of FDI that has historically been dominated by Gulf and diaspora money. The involvement of OLAE, led by Prof. Dr. Jose Paulo Oliveira, points to broadening international interest in Pakistan’s investment story beyond its traditional feeder markets.

Second, and more relevant to Lahore’s FDI narrative specifically, is where the capital is going. Citadel Prime sits directly on Gulberg Main Boulevard, the heart of Lahore’s prime commercial corridor.

The project is a 50+ floor mixed-use development offering premium residences, government-backed business hubs, high-end retail across three podium levels, and smart infrastructure including EV-ready parking and advanced HVAC systems.

It is, in its conception, a product built for the kind of urban density and quality that global investors recognise.

That statement is worth sitting with. The demand for investable, institutional-quality real estate in Lahore exists. What has been missing until recently is the supply side keeping pace with that demand.

What Makes Lahore Attractive to Foreign Capital

Several structural factors underpin Lahore’s emergence as an FDI destination.

Its demographics are compelling. Lahore is rapidly urbanising, with a growing professional middle class demanding quality commercial and residential real estate.

The city is expected to be part of Pakistan’s urban-majority transition by 2030, sustaining long-term demand in a way that short-cycle investment in peripheral housing schemes cannot.

Its infrastructure is improving. The Orange Line metro, Ring Road expansions, and the Route 47 smart road link have materially improved connectivity within and around the city. The CBD zone specifically benefits from multiple public transport access points, reducing friction for businesses and residents alike.

Its regulatory environment is becoming more investor-friendly. Lahore’s FBR valuation rates were revised and harmonised with market values in late 2024, improving transaction transparency. The REIT framework has been strengthened, opening the door to institutional participation in the commercial property market.

And its geography matters. Lahore is Pakistan’s closest major city to the Indian subcontinent’s broader trade routes, and its position along the CPEC corridor gives it infrastructure adjacency that secondary cities lack.

The Road Ahead

Lahore is not yet a finished FDI story. It is, more accurately, a market at inflection where the foundational work of infrastructure, regulatory reform, and institutional real estate development is creating the conditions for sustained foreign capital inflow. The Chakor-OLAE signing is one data point in what is becoming a more credible trend.

For global investors evaluating South Asia’s real estate markets, Lahore now offers something that was previously absent: bankable projects in premium locations, backed by developers with the track record and credibility to deliver.

Citadel Prime is the most visible expression of that proposition today, a 50-floor landmark on Gulberg’s most coveted address, carrying European FDI into its foundations.

The city is ready. The projects are live. The capital is arriving.

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IHC Grants Interim Relief to Islamabad Taxpayers
CategoriesNews Property Property Taxes Real Estate Tax

IHC Grants Interim Relief to Islamabad Taxpayers, Halts Property Tax Collection

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has suspended the collection of property tax from residents of the federal capital, delivering interim relief to taxpayers who had challenged the levy imposed by the Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad (MCI).

The order was issued by a single bench during the first hearing of a writ petition filed by Muhammad Munir Ahmed Chaudhary and Ahmed Hasan Rana, with the latter also appearing as counsel for the case.

The petition contests Gazette Notification No. 404(1)-4/2024, issued on March 14, 2024, as well as a subsequent property tax bill of Rs. 846,398, served on the petitioners on April 24, 2026. Given that thousands of property owners across Islamabad face similar demands, the case has emerged as a key test case with wide-reaching implications.

Counsel for the petitioners argued that the notification contravened the Islamabad Capital Territory Local Government Act, 2015, and the Urban Immovable Property Tax Act, 1958. They contended that MCI lacked the legal authority to impose such a tax and that the notification had been issued by an administrator rather than an elected local government body, as required by law.

It was further argued that the tax demand was arbitrary, lacking proper assessment and failing to provide taxpayers a hearing. The petitioners cited a relevant Supreme Court ruling to reinforce their position.

After hearing preliminary arguments, the court concluded that the petitioners had established a prima facie case, with the balance of convenience favouring the taxpayers. Consequently, notices were issued to MCI, its Directorate of Revenue, the Capital Development Authority, and federal authorities through the Interior and Cabinet divisions.

The bench suspended the disputed tax bills until the next hearing and adjourned proceedings for four weeks, meaning affected residents will not be required to make payments in the interim.

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99% Tax Target
CategoriesNews Budget Developments Economy Property Property Taxes Tax

Punjab Hits 99% Tax Target, Plans FBR-Like Tax Body

LAHORE: Punjab’s government has announced plans to create a unified revenue authority modelled on the Federal Board of Revenue, consolidating all provincial tax streams under a single institutional framework during the upcoming fiscal year.

Finance Minister Mian Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman disclosed the initiative at a post-budget press conference on Wednesday, citing strong performance in the outgoing fiscal year as grounds for the reform. The province met 99 percent of its tax collection target, prompting officials to raise the revenue goal for FY 2026-27 by 46 percent. Own-source revenues are projected to grow between 30 and 40 percent, a gain the minister attributed to curbing corruption within tax administration and broadening the provincial tax base.

Under the new targets, the Punjab Revenue Authority has been assigned a collection goal of Rs528 billion, while the Excise and Taxation Department will aim for Rs124 billion. Non-tax departments are expected to contribute Rs461 billion, with the Mines and Minerals Department emerging as the leading performer in that category.

Rehman noted that only modest revisions to existing tax rates were proposed for the coming year, given current economic conditions. He explained that a Rs546 billion grant to the federal government had reduced Punjab’s development budget from Rs1,240 billion to Rs752 billion, though officials maintained that no development priorities were compromised.

Addressing reporters’ questions, the minister confirmed that proposed amendments to the agricultural tax, unchanged since 1998, would apply only to landholdings exceeding 12.5 acres.

Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, also present at the briefing, rejected claims that southern Punjab or the agriculture sector were being neglected, pointing to rising acreage and crop output. She further clarified that reports of a Rs145 billion traffic-fine target were inaccurate, stating that the actual figure is Rs45 billion. Officials added that documentation for 493 new development schemes, including a laptop distribution programme, would be finalised by June 30.

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CategoriesNews Economy Property Property Taxes Real Estate Tax Urban Developments & Planning

Punjab Recovers Rs9.3 Million But Misses FY26 Property Tax Target

LAHORE: The Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has been unable to meet its property tax collection goal for FY2025-26, despite revising property valuation rates and widening the tax base earlier in the year. With two weeks left before the June 30 deadline, officials have shifted into emergency mode.
The Director General of Excise and Taxation has cancelled all staff leave and ordered field teams to stay on active recovery duty until the fiscal year closes. As part of the crackdown, officers across the department’s five property tax zones sealed 362 properties belonging to defaulters in a single week, recovering Rs9.3 million in unpaid dues over the same period.

Zone-IV Gujar Khan stood out as the best-performing area. Excise and Taxation Officer Abdul Qadir led recoveries in the zone, followed by ETO Asim Sardar and ETO Kulsoom Zahra.

At the other end of the scale, Zone-V, which covers several upscale neighbourhoods with large, high-value properties, posted the weakest recovery numbers. Officials say complaints have already been filed with the Director General over the reporting of allegedly bogus taxable properties from that zone, raising questions about data integrity within the system.

Field officers, however, remain hopeful. They say notices have been issued to all known defaulters and enforcement operations are running throughout the day across all zones.

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Finance Bill 2026-27
CategoriesNews Budget Economy Property Property Taxes Real Estate Tax

Government Reduces Property Transfer Taxes by 50% in Finance Bill 2026-27

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Government has announced a series of significant tax reductions in the Finance Bill 2026-27, aimed at revitalising Pakistan’s real estate sector and reducing the financial burden on property buyers and sellers nationwide.

Under the new measures, the advance tax on property sales has been reduced by half. Sellers on the Active Taxpayers List (ATL) will now pay a flat rate of 2.75% under Section 236C, down from the previous 5.5%. Similarly, buyers who are registered filers will benefit from a reduced advance tax rate of 1.25% on the fair market value of purchased properties under Section 236K, compared to the earlier rate of 2.5%.

In a landmark move, the Finance Bill officially abolishes Section 7E, which levied a deemed income tax on immovable properties by taxing owners on a notional 5% of income, regardless of whether the property generated any actual earnings.

The Federal Constitutional Court had already declared Section 7E unconstitutional and void ab initio in May 2026, and the Finance Bill now formally removes it from the statute books.

The government has also abolished the Capital Value Tax (CVT) on foreign assets held by resident Pakistanis. Previously, Pakistanis owning properties abroad were required to pay CVT on their declared foreign wealth. The removal of this tax is expected to encourage greater transparency and documentation of overseas assets.

Furthermore, the Finance Bill introduces important amendments to Section 76(8A) regarding inherited property. The cost of an inherited asset will henceforth be recorded at the fair market value on the date of the original owner’s death, ensuring that heirs are not subjected to capital gains tax on value appreciation that occurred prior to inheritance.

It is noteworthy that while registered filers receive considerable relief, non-filers and individuals on the Non-Active Taxpayers List will continue to face substantially higher punitive tax rates during property transactions, reinforcing the government’s broader strategy of incentivising tax compliance and expanding the documented economy.

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