NAB Plans to End Real Estate File System in Major Reform Push

National Accountability Bureau Chairman Lt Gen retired Nazir Ahmed has announced that Pakistan is preparing new real estate reforms aimed at ending the long-running property file system, a practice widely criticised for enabling fraud, speculation and weak accountability in the housing sector.

Speaking during an informal media interaction on Wednesday, the NAB chief said the proposed reforms are expected to be introduced within two months and will be placed before the federal cabinet for approval. The move signals a major regulatory push in a sector that directly affects millions of buyers, overseas Pakistanis, investors and housing society members.

Under the planned changes, responsibility for real estate transactions would shift more clearly toward developers. The NAB chairman indicated that developers would carry full responsibility once the new framework is implemented, reducing reliance on informal file-based trading that often leaves ordinary buyers exposed when projects are delayed, cancelled or disputed.

Nazir Ahmed also discussed the bureau’s broader accountability approach, saying cases involving parliamentarians were still continuing. However, he noted that NAB no longer issues public press releases on such matters, reflecting what he described as a change in institutional conduct compared with previous practices.

The chairman said NAB had referred several matters to the Federal Investigation Agency and anti-corruption departments, suggesting that the bureau is trying to separate cases according to institutional jurisdiction. He also stressed that suspects should be treated with dignity, adding that accountability work should not become a source of public humiliation before legal processes are completed.

The announcement comes as Pakistan’s real estate sector faces recurring concerns over undocumented transactions, artificial price inflation, incomplete housing projects and disputes over ownership claims. The file system has often allowed plots or promised property rights to be traded before formal possession, creating risk for buyers who may not have secure legal title.

The proposed reform could also affect developers, dealers and investors who have built business models around file trading. A stricter system may improve transparency, but it could also disrupt short-term speculation and require housing societies to strengthen documentation, approvals, development timelines and buyer protections.

Nazir Ahmed also rejected criticism arising from international governance assessments, describing the IMF’s diagnostic view of Pakistan as unfounded. He questioned the credibility of Transparency International’s surveys and argued that broad judgments about corruption should be assessed through stronger and more representative methods.

For Pakistan, the reform push carries major economic implications because real estate is deeply linked with household savings, construction activity, banking, taxation and urban development. If implemented effectively, the abolition of the file system could reduce fraud, improve investor confidence and help authorities bring more property transactions into documented channels.

The next step will be the preparation and submission of the proposed reforms to the federal cabinet. Buyers, developers and regulators will now wait for details on how the new system will define developer responsibility, protect existing file holders and ensure that future real estate transactions are legally transparent and enforceable.