Punjab transfer charges

The Punjab Board of Revenue has notified stamp duty of 3 per cent on transfers of urban residential and commercial property, effective 1 September 2026. The registration fee schedule has also been revised for Lahore, Faisalabad and Rawalpindi, though the new amounts were not given.

For an owner preparing to transfer a plot or house, the date of transfer may now affect the charges payable. Ask the relevant registration office for a written calculation before signing or sending money.

A separate headline said Punjab had raised DC valuation tables in three cities, but no article text or official notification came with it. The cities, effective date and revised tables therefore remain unverified here.

Reference: Dawn, 4 August 2026; Business Recorder, 3 August 2026 (headline only).

Online tax check for overseas owners

FBR has opened an online facility for non-resident Pakistanis. It allows a property’s tax status to be checked against a NICOP or POC number. The displayed record includes withholding tax entered against the CNIC at transfer and the filer status used at that time.

FBR warned that the result is only as accurate as the data entered during registration. Treat the online result as a first check, not as proof that every entry is correct.

Reference: Business Recorder, 5 August 2026.

Islamabad building-plan notice

CDA has ordered the sealing of commercial construction without approved building plans in sectors I-9 and I-10. The notice gives owners fifteen days to produce approved plans or apply for regularisation. CDA has also republished its list of housing schemes that it has not approved.

If you own affected commercial property, obtain the approved plan and the complete authority file now. If you own a plot in a private Islamabad scheme, check the scheme’s approval directly with CDA before authorising a sale, purchase or new construction.

Reference: Express Tribune, 5 August 2026.

Housing finance documents

State Bank instructions will require banks to verify the registered sale deed and latest fard before releasing housing finance in tranches. Banks must also record the source of the down payment. The instructions take effect on 1 October 2026.

An owner using bank finance should check that the registered deed and latest land record carry matching names and property details. Resolve differences before the bank begins its review.

Reference: Dawn Business, 1 August 2026.