New Property Laws in Sindh

In light of the increasing number of property funds and illegal transactions in Sindh, a thorough verification system was deemed imperative. As a result, the Government of Sindh introduced a new law in January 2010, which stated that all property owners, landlords and real estate agents were required to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Home department prior to renting or selling property.
Unfortunately, the law was not takes very seriously and many property transactions continued take place without the obtainment of an NOC.
As a result, in June 2011, the Government of Sindh announced a revised law which stated that the purchase or rental of any kind of property - be it plots, apartments, houses, portions, commercial or Industrial spaces- can take place only after the National Database Registration Authority (Nadra) has conducted background checks and verified the authenticity of the owners, sellers and tenants.
Additionally, the area police station and Union Council Offices must verify the authenticity of the transaction before it can go through.
This new law has been enforced on a trial basis for a period of three months, after which it may be put into effect permanently.
In order to make this law more effective, the following measure should be taken:

• If this law is passed throughout Pakistan instead of just Sindh, illegal transactions can effectively be curbed throughout the country.
• The Home Department must regulate real estate licensing, making it mandatory for all agents to have a license before conducting business.
• A computerized property database of tenants and buyers should be maintained in each district, city and province to facilitate background checks.
• Anyone who violates this law should be heavily penalized.