Digital land record: Sindh govt embraces blockchain system for transparent deals

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said that in a significant move to modernise Sindh’s land records, this government has launched an advanced digitalisation initiative aimed at ensuring accuracy, security, and efficiency in property management.

Presiding over a meeting high-level meeting of the Board of Revenue, the CM discussed milestones in this transformation and emphasised the need for a simplified, tech-driven approach to land documentation and transfer.

The meeting, held at CM House, was attended by Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Baqaullah Unar, Principal Secretary to CM (PSCM) Agha Wasif, Vice Chancellor of IBA Sukkur Asif Shaikh, Secretary IT Noor Ahmad Samo, and Special Secretary General Administration Zaman Narejo, Director LARMS Saifullah Abro and others.

At the outset, CM Murad Shah emphasised that the previous 12-step land transfer process should be streamlined into a single-step digital mechanism, ensuring ease of access and eliminating bureaucratic delays. He highlighted that Sindh’s digital land record system would set a precedent for modern, tech-enabled governance, reducing corruption, ensuring rightful ownership, and accelerating property

transactions.

Chief Secretary Asif Hyder Shah, briefing the Chief Minister on the freshly developed e-system, said that as part of the initiative, manual land records were being rewritten and authenticated, a digital land register was being created, and blockchain technology was being integrated to ensure tamper-proof record-keeping. “Additionally, a web-based e-transfer system will facilitate seamless property transactions without the need for visits to government offices,” he told the CM.

Revision & authentication: To ensure accuracy and transparency, the government is manually rewriting Village Form-VII-A and Village Form-II records, which serve as the foundation of land ownership data, the chief secretary told the CM that a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC) linkage system is being incorporated to provide definitive ownership verification, preventing fraudulent claims and documentation errors.

Creation of a Digital Land Register: The chief secretary told the chief minister that a comprehensive digital land register was being developed to record survey number-wise area details of entire Dehs (villages). “This system will also hold data on non-transferable land categories, including forest land, village commons, graveyards, and bhada land (leased land), ensuring that these properties remain protected and beyond unauthorised transactions,” Asif Hyder Shah told the CM.

Blockchain-secured Data-base architecture: Chief Secretary briefing Chief Minister Murad Shah said that one of the most significant advancements in this initiative is the use of blockchain technology. “The rewritten and authenticated records (V.F.VII-A & V.F.II) will be fully digitised and stored in a blockchain-based database, making them immutable and tamper-proof,” he said and added that this infrastructure would also enable CNIC-linked ownership verification, creating a secure and transparent land registry system.

Web-Based E-Transfer of Land Titles: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah said that the new system would introduce a paperless, faceless, and seamless land title transfer mechanism, eliminating the need for physical visits to revenue offices. “Instead, biometric verification at Peoples Service Centres will be the only requirement, making the process more secure and efficient,” he said and added that the system would be integrated with NADRA, the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), banks, and other government institutions for real-time data validation and verification.

Pilot project approved: Chief Minister Murad Shah, on the recommendation of the chief secretary, to test the effectiveness of this digital framework, the Sindh government has approved a pilot project in Deh Matiari and Palijani (District and Taluka Matiari) and Deh Bagerji (Taluka and District Sukkur).“ These areas have been chosen for the rewriting and digitisation of land records in collaboration with IBA Sukkur, which is developing the technical framework for this transformation,“ the CM said.

Murad Ali Shah said that with the integration of blockchain technology, biometric authentication, and web-based property transfers, Sindh is progressing towards a futuristic land management system that promises greater efficiency, security, and public trust. “The success of the pilot project will pave the way for province-wide implementation, revolutionizing land ownership and real estate transactions in Sindh,” he concluded.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025