The Punjab government has suspended the Green Certificate system for six months following concerns raised by lawmakers over land transactions, property ownership records and the implementation of the digital system.
Provincial Minister Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rehman announced the decision during a session of the Punjab Assembly, saying several issues had emerged during the implementation of the Green Certificate system.
The system was introduced to modernize land record management and make property-related transactions easier. However, lawmakers raised concerns about its effectiveness and the accuracy of property ownership records.
Opposition Leader Rana Aftab Ahmed criticised the existing land record process and alleged that corruption remained widespread within the Land Department.
He questioned whether the Green Certificate system had improved the process of buying and selling property and argued that the traditional patwari system had previously been more effective for certain land-related transactions.
Concerns over property records
Rana Aftab Ahmed also highlighted the absence of an effective one-window mechanism for handling property sale and purchase records.
He said citizens continue to face difficulties when dealing with land transactions and called for improvements to the system to make the process more transparent and accessible.
Raja Shaukat Bhatti raised concerns about inaccuracies in ownership records, claiming that multiple individuals had at times been listed as owners of the same two-acre plot.
The issue has raised questions about the reliability of land records and the mechanisms being used to verify ownership information.
Warning over Green Certificate system
MPA Amjad Ali Javed said he had previously warned the Senior Member Board of Revenue about potential problems with the Green Certificate system.
The concerns raised by lawmakers focused on the implementation of the digital land record system and whether adequate safeguards were in place to prevent errors and disputes over property ownership.
The six-month suspension is expected to provide the provincial government with an opportunity to review the system and address the issues identified during its implementation.
Speaker questions suspension authority
The Punjab Assembly Speaker also questioned whether the provincial government had the authority to suspend the Green Certificate system if the measure had already been approved by the assembly.
He argued that any decision to suspend an assembly-approved measure should also involve the legislature.
The discussion has therefore raised both administrative and legal questions surrounding the suspension of the system.
The Punjab government will now face pressure to address concerns over land records, property transactions and the functioning of the Green Certificate system before deciding whether to restore it after the six-month period.
Also read: Punjab Brings Back Manual Land Record Certificates
