PESHAWAR: The Peshawar division administration has launched biometric system for transfer of land properties in order to ensure transparency and discourage grabbing of properties through forged documents.

The biometric system was launched at a function held at the District Council Hall on Saturday, where Peshawar division commissioner Syed Shahab Ali Shah, deputy commissioner Dr Imran Hamid Sheikh and district naib nazim Syed Qasim Ali Shah were also present.

Briefing the participants, database manager Shahab Khan said during the transfer of ownership of a land property the fingerprints of both the parties and witnesses along with their photographs would be preserved for record so that no one in future could deny the deeds. He said the biometric system would bring an end to corruption in land business.

The relevant tehsildars and registrars were given laptops and biometric software to start the land transfer process immediately, he added.

A spokesman of the district administration told Dawn that earlier the people had to contact the relevant patwari to get information about the schedule of visit of tehsildar to an area, but now the entire process, including schedule of visits of tehsildars, would be uploaded on social media to facilitate the public.

Shahab Khan said computerisation of land transfer system had long been demanded by the people.

Published in Dawn, November 18th, 2018