Dar Inaugurates Land Record, Passport Services for UK-Based Pakistanis

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Senator Ishaq Dar on Monday inaugurated two major initiatives at the Pakistan High Commission in London — the ‘Provision of Land Record Services’ and the ‘One Window Passport Processing System’.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the projects fulfil a commitment made by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif at the Overseas Pakistanis Convention in April 2025 to enhance transparency, efficiency and accessibility of governance for the diaspora.

Developed in collaboration with the Punjab Land Revenue Authority (PLRA), the land record services will enable British Pakistanis to access and manage property records in Punjab without travelling to Pakistan. The platform, secured through blockchain technology, offers facilities including online sale deeds, Fard (Record of Rights), e-Girdawari, mutation entries and document attestation. Initially launched through a dedicated desk at the High Commission, the service will later be expanded to other UK consulates.

The one-window passport system, introduced by the Directorate General of Immigration and Passports (IMPASS), integrates multiple steps into a single counter, reducing processing time to around 10 minutes and easing congestion.

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Calling the projects a “digital leap towards safeguarding diaspora rights and fostering investment,” Mr Dar lauded the joint efforts of the Foreign Ministry, PLRA, NADRA and the High Commission.

Separately, the deputy prime minister met Lord Qurban Hussain and Kashmiri community leaders to discuss diaspora concerns. He praised the role of British parliamentarians of Pakistani origin in strengthening bilateral ties. On the matter of Mirpur Airport, Mr Dar said codal formalities were under way and suggested a public-private partnership model, encouraging the UK-based Kashmiri diaspora to invest in the project — a proposal that the delegation welcomed.