Lahore: The Punjab government is planning to amend a 116-year-old law to help overseas Pakistanis sell property without legal complications, as news reported on 24 June.
According to the details, Pakistanis living abroad are required by Section 31 of the Registration Act 1908 to register their power of attorney and send it to Pakistan to buy or sell property. This often leads to legal issues and even fraud. The planned amendment will allow expatriates to submit their sale deed statements directly to their embassies, avoiding the need to travel to Pakistan. After modifying Section 31(1) of the Registration Act 1908, expatriates will need to appear before a designated commission officer at their local embassy to handle property transactions. Meanwhile, the person involved in the transaction in Pakistan will be verified at the sub-registrar’s office through the NADRA system.
This initiative by the Punjab government, in collaboration with MOFA, aims to simplify the process and reduce costs for overseas Pakistanis dealing with real estate.
