The seller

Buying property from an overseas Pakistani owner

By Adil Builders · Updated 25 September 2026

The owner lives in London. Their brother is in Lahore and says: "Don't worry, I have my brother's power of attorney." This is very common, and it is not suspicious in itself. But it changes what you need to check.

Two checks, not one

You are buying from the overseas owner, through the relative. So you must check:

The owner's ownership, exactly as you would for any sale: current record, how they acquired it, share, co-owners.
The relative's authority: the power of attorney.

How the POA was authenticated

Because the owner is outside Pakistan, the way the POA was made matters a great deal. The Registration Act has a specific procedure for powers of attorney signed by someone living abroad. It covers signing and authentication before recognised officials, such as a Notary Public, a court, judge or magistrate, a Pakistani Consul or Vice-Consul, or a relevant federal representative.

For an overseas POA, how and where it was authenticated is the whole question. A document typed on stamp paper in Lahore is not the same thing.

What the POA must say

It names this specific property.
It allows sale and transfer, not only management or rent collection.
It is current. It has not been revoked, and the owner is alive.

Practical steps

Ask to speak to the owner directly on a video call, and confirm they want to sell.
Get a copy of the POA and have your lawyer check its wording and authentication.
Check the ownership record independently, not through the relative's documents.
Pay through traceable bank channels, into an account that matches the agreement.
Do not pay a large token before the POA has been checked.

Combine an overseas owner with "urgent sale", a low price and pressure for a token today, and you have the pattern behind many Lahore property frauds. Each part may be innocent. Together, they are a reason to slow right down.

From Chapter 4, Who Is Allowed to Sell? of Understanding Property in Lahore, built from PLRA, LDA and FBR sources.