Rawalpindi: Property registrations for residential and commercial properties have resumed across Rawalpindi Division after a month-long suspension, with the existing official valuation rates retained for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
Registrations in Rawalpindi city, cantonment and adjoining areas are being processed through biometric verification and the online system. Biometric verification of both buyers and sellers has been made mandatory, while the upgraded online registration system is expected to become fully operational from Monday (today).
The decision to retain the previous financial year’s valuation rates has been welcomed by property dealers. However, higher advance tax, capital gains tax and registration-related fees are expected to increase transaction costs.
According to property dealers, the revised charges could raise registration expenses by around Rs30,000 to Rs50,000 for residential properties and Rs50,000 to Rs125,000 for commercial properties. Officials estimate that the month-long suspension of property registrations resulted in a government revenue loss of around Rs1.5 billion.
Meanwhile, the Excise, Taxation and Narcotics Control Department has yet to prepare property tax bills for the 2026-27 fiscal year, delaying their issuance across the Rawalpindi Region.
Officials said the department had increased property tax rates by 10% to 15%, but the bills could not be prepared until the deputy commissioner’s valuation rates were received. Although the rates are normally issued in early July, they were released only recently and had not reached the department by Saturday, July 25.
Officials expect the rates to reach the department on Monday, after which preparation of the bills will take another 10 to 15 days. Property tax bills for residential and commercial properties in Rawalpindi city and cantonment areas are expected to be dispatched after August 14.
Samra Zulfiqar, a real estate analyst at Zameen.com, is passionate about finding projects that offer buyers the best returns. Her keen insights spotlight the market’s most promising opportunities.
