How to verify title with fard and intiqal

01Why title verification comes before money

On a registered property, as opposed to a society file, ownership sits in the land revenue and registry record. Your job before paying is to confirm that the seller is the real owner, that the property is free of loans and disputes, and that the record matches what you are being told. Two documents anchor this, the fard and the intiqal.

02The fard, the record of rights

The fard, or fard-e-malkiat, is the record of rights that shows who owns the land, the ownership share, and often any recorded charge against it. In several provinces you can now obtain a computerised fard through the provincial land records systems, for example the Punjab Land Records Authority has digitised much of rural and urban Punjab. Getting a fresh fard, close to the transaction date, is the single most useful check.

• Confirm the owner name and CNIC match the seller.
• Confirm the ownership share, is the seller the sole owner or one of several.
• Look for any recorded mortgage, loan, or charge.

03The intiqal, the mutation

The intiqal, or mutation, records the transfer of ownership from one party to the next in the revenue record. Reviewing the chain of intiqals shows how the property passed to the current seller. A clean, unbroken chain is reassuring. Gaps, disputed mutations, or inheritance transfers that were never properly recorded are warning signs that need resolving before you buy.

04Check for encumbrances and disputes

• Ask for a non-encumbrance position, confirmation that the property is not mortgaged or pledged.
• Check whether any litigation is pending on the property, a stay order or dispute can freeze it.
• For inherited property, confirm all legal heirs are accounted for and have agreed to the sale, a missing heir can undo the whole transaction later.

05Cross-check the physical plot

Papers describe the land, but confirm the papers describe this land. Match the khasra or plot number, the area, and the boundaries to what you are actually buying on the ground. A site visit with someone who can read the record prevents buying a plot that does not match its documents.

06Use the registrar for the deed

The sale itself is executed through a registered sale deed at the sub-registrar, with stamp duty and registration fee paid on the DC rate or provincial framework. Keep the registered deed, it is your primary proof of ownership.

07Documents to collect and keep

• Fresh fard close to the transaction date.
• The chain of intiqals.
• Seller CNIC and prior sale deed.
• The registered sale deed in your name after transfer.

08When to pause

If the fard shows co-owners who are not at the table, the intiqal chain has a gap, or there is any hint of pending litigation, stop and resolve it in writing before any payment. Title problems are cheap to avoid and expensive to fix.