Fard and Registry: What’s the Difference?

Fard vs. Registry: Two Different Documents

Buyers new to Pakistani property transactions often assume “the paperwork” is one document. It isn’t — Fard and registry serve different purposes, and having one without the other is a real risk, not a technicality.

What the Fard Proves

The Fard-e-Malkiat is the official ownership record maintained by the land revenue department. It shows who currently owns the property according to government records, along with any encumbrances (like an outstanding mortgage) registered against it. A fresh Fard — not one that’s months or years old — is your best single check on current legal ownership.

What the Registry Proves

The registry (registered sale deed) is the document that records a specific transaction: this seller transferred this property to this buyer, on this date, for this price, registered with the sub-registrar. It’s proof that a particular sale happened and was legally recorded.

Why You Need Both

A registry proves a past transaction happened. It does not, by itself, prove the seller in front of you today still owns the property free and clear — that’s what a current Fard is for. Conversely, a Fard shows current ownership but doesn’t tell you the full transaction history or whether the chain of ownership behind it is clean. Checking both, together, is how you avoid buying into someone else’s unresolved paperwork problem.

For the full document checklist, see our guide on verifying property documents in Pakistan.

FAQs

1. Which document do I need to actually complete a purchase? You need a clean, current Fard to confirm the seller can legally sell, and the transaction itself gets formalized as a new registry in your name.
2. How recent should a Fard be before I rely on it? As recent as possible — ownership records can change, so a Fard pulled specifically for your transaction is far more reliable than one the seller happens to have on file from years earlier.
3. Is mutation the same as either of these? No — mutation (Intiqal) is the separate step of updating land records after a registry, so the record reflects the new owner. See our property registration process guide for where it fits in the sequence.