Is Punjab Launching Smart City Blockchain Trials for Land Records?
By Salman Khan
ISLAMABAD: Is Punjab Launches Smart City Blockchain Trials for Land Records? There have not been any official statement but there has been a buzz on social media plate forms that Punjab province is said to take a lead in experimenting blockchain technology for securing land records.
Through, there has not been any official announcement but there has been a buzz on social media platforms, particularly Twitter which hints unfolding a pilot project to reshape property ownership governance in Pakistan.
Blockchain Offers Secure Land Record Management
Globally, blockchain has been a transformational tool for governance as it works to put  transparent ledger system in place that is ideal for sectors plagued by fraud and corruption, especially land administration. There have been countries like Dubai and Georgia that have already implemented blockchain-powered land registries aimed at reducing disputes and ensuring transparency.
In Punjab, there are rumors which indicate that provincial government may implement a similar model. Multiple residents from Lahore and Rawalpindi have shared images on Twitter that such digital kiosks are being installed at land record offices. There have also been some banners that hint at a ‘pilot program’ to modernize land transfers through smart technologies.
Pulse of the Public: Social Media Fuels Speculation
The Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), has not issued an official statement but there have been posts on social media under its #PulsePunjab campaign to fuel speculation.
“Stay updated about the digitization of land records in Punjab… #pulsepunjab #landrecords #digitaltransformation,” read one recent tweet that quickly gained attraction on social platforms.
Insiders have suggested that private blockchain vendors have quietly started collaborating with the provincial IT board to design a permissioned blockchain which has been tailored for Punjab’s complex property ownership structure.
Integration with National ID and Smart Contracts
Beyond simple record-keeping, experts have said that Punjab’s experiment could integrate land titles with NADRA’s national identity system, to streamline verification processes to limit forgery.
Further, if Punjab government awards smart contracts, there will be automated system in place for property transfers once specific conditions are met. It will eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy delays and reduce processing times drastically.
Academic Models Already Proposed
Pakistan’s academic community has long discussed application of blockchain technology for governance. Research papers such as those published by IEEE have also proposed decentralized land registry models to adopt within Pakistan’s legal framework.
Challenges and Skepticism Persist
While the pilot project shows promise, there have been skeptics that previous digitization efforts—like Punjab’s land computerization drive in the 2010s had yielded results initially. It had resulted in reduced tax collection due to limited bureaucratic and flawed implementation.
Lahore based IT analyst wrote that Blockchain cannot solve systemic issues alone. He said that records can still be manipulated at entry point despite reducing human interference and legal enforcement is strengthened.
Moreover, there have also been concerns over public key management, cybersecurity, scalability, and technical literacy that Punjab must overcome.
Quiet Foundations of a Digital Future
Despite these concerns, there have been on-ground observations which have suggested that something significant is quietly unfolding. Citizens have reported visiting digital kiosks equipped with scanners and biometrics at local land revenue offices. They have seen government contractors installing new servers and fiber optic lines at PLRA regional centers.
Early indicators have suggested Lahore, Rawalpindi, Multan, and Faisalabad could be among the initial testing grounds.
