RAWALPINDI: The Rawalpindi Development Authority (RDA) has announced that it will introduce a digital property transfer system and an online building plan approval mechanism in the coming months, as part of broader efforts to modernise urban governance and improve service delivery in the real estate sector.
The decision was shared during a meeting convened to discuss facilitation measures for housing schemes and regulatory bodies through electronic registration, online property transfers and digital approval of building plans under an integrated framework. The meeting was chaired by RDA Additional Director General Mohammad Anwar Baran and attended by senior officials of the authority as well as representatives of the Punjab Land Record Authority (PLRA).
Briefing the participants, PLRA representative Hafiz Abdul Ghafoor said housing schemes would be onboarded through their respective regulators using an online web portal, functional prototypes of which had already been developed. He added that housing schemes would utilise the Property Transfer System (PTS) to ensure secure transactions and transparent transfer of property ownership.
He said the approval of building plans would also be processed through the same online portal, ensuring transparency, accountability and time-bound decision-making. According to Mr Ghafoor, the digital property transfer system is expected to be formally launched from February 15, after which the existing manual system will be phased out completely.
Officials said the digital framework would provide significant convenience to the public by enabling online applications, reducing human intervention, shortening processing times and ensuring quicker access to approvals and no-objection certificates. The system is also expected to facilitate the marketing and sale of plots while promoting transparency, efficiency and good governance in the real estate sector.
The RDA management reiterated its commitment to adopting technology-driven solutions to improve service delivery and urged all stakeholders, including developers and regulators, to actively participate in the transition to digital systems. The authority assured participants that continuous technical support and training would be provided to ensure a smooth shift from manual to online processes.
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The additional director general also reaffirmed that the RDA would not tolerate illegal or unauthorised development, particularly in areas declared sensitive by regulatory bodies. He said strict enforcement operations would continue to protect public interest, maintain urban planning discipline and curb fraudulent development practices.
The authority advised citizens to avoid investing in unauthorised housing schemes and to verify the legal status of projects through official RDA platforms before making any financial commitments. The MP&TE directorate was directed to take strict action against illegal housing schemes, unauthorised commercial activities, booking offices and encroachments.
The approval of building plans will be carried out through the online web portal, ensuring transparency, accountability, and time-bound processing.https://t.co/jWeWk7sSCX
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) January 9, 2026
The meeting was informed that all illegal housing societies were under active scrutiny and that complete data had been collected for issuing QR codes on housing society files. Officials said housing societies with valid no-objection certificates were legally recognised, and the QR code system had been activated to help protect citizens from fraud. The RDA noted that its actions against illegal housing schemes had also been appreciated by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
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