Islamabad: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has opined that the country’s outdated and corruption-infested patwari system needs to be replaced, according to a news source. A three-member apex court bench headed by Justice Umar Atta Bandial passed this comment while hearing a case on the role of patwaris and tehsildars in the urban areas.
In response to the court’s concern regarding the role of patwaris in the property transfer system, the Balochistan Additional Advocate General informed that the Government of Balochistan had acted upon the Supreme Court’s order. He apprised the court that the provincial government had barred patwaris and tehsildars from interfering in this mechanism. He added that the provincial government wants to have a look at the review applications, and present its own stance before the bench. To this, Justice Bandial said that the court would like to hear the views of the other provinces on the matter.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)’s Additional Advocate General informed the court that KP has review application pending. He indicated that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would share its stance if the court so ordered.
On the occasion, the Punjab Additional Advocate General said that the provincial government desired to share its reply with the court. He also mentioned that Punjab had already digitised all of its land records.
The lawyer who represented property owners from Faisalabad informed that the property transfer mechanism in the cityhad been halted due to the court’s order. To this, Justice Bandial said that once the provinces share their remarks, the court will hear the case in detail.
