Pakistani property runs on vocabulary that nobody explains to first-time buyers — a mix of Urdu, legal and trade terms used interchangeably by dealers who assume you already know them. Not knowing a word is how people sign things they do not understand. Here is the vocabulary, in plain English.
Measurement
Marla — the standard small unit. Critically, its size *varies by society*: a plot sold as "5 Marla" can be anywhere from roughly 125 to 150 square yards. Always compare square yards, never marla labels. Why this distorts price comparisons.
Kanal — the larger standard unit, conventionally 20 Marla, commonly 500 square yards for a standard 50×90 ft plot.
Square yard / square foot — the units that actually let you compare across societies. One square yard is nine square feet.
Covered area — the built floor area of a house, totalled across storeys. Construction is priced per square foot of covered area, not per Marla of plot — a distinction that causes real budgeting errors (construction costs explained).
Ownership and documents
Fard (fard-e-malkiat) — the record of rights extract from the land revenue record, showing who owns a piece of land. One of the primary ownership checks for revenue-record land (how to check ownership).
Intiqal / mutation — the entry that records a transfer of ownership in the revenue record. A sale is not fully reflected in the record until mutation is complete.
Allotment letter — the society's document allotting a specific, numbered plot to you. Distinct from a file.
File — a right to a plot of a given size *before* a specific plot number has been allotted. Files and allotted plots price and behave differently (the distinction).
Transfer letter — the society's record that ownership passed from one party to another, issued at the transfer counter (the process).
Registry — registration of a sale deed with the relevant registrar, the formal legal instrument for titled property.
Possession — physical handover of a developed, demarcated plot you can build on. Separate from, and usually much later than, balloting (the sequence).
Money terms
Bayana — token or earnest money paid to reserve a deal. Keep it proportionate: its job is commitment, not payment.
Down payment — the initial instalment under a payment plan.
Development charges — the cost of providing roads, utilities and services. Crucially, these are sometimes quoted *inside* a price and sometimes added later; a quote that excludes them is higher than it looks. In Faisal Town Phase 2 they are included in the published rates (current plan).
Category charges — the premium for a corner, main-road, boulevard-facing or park-facing plot (are they worth it?).
Lump-sum / cash discount — the reduction for paying in full rather than by instalments; in FT2's case 20% on residential (the math).
Surcharge — the penalty added to late instalments (what happens if you miss one).
Pay order / demand draft — bank instruments used for property payments. Most societies, FT2 included, do not accept cheques.
Approvals and authorities
NOC (No Objection Certificate) — the approval from the relevant authority permitting a housing scheme. The single most important risk item in any Pakistani plot purchase. Faisal Town Phase 2's NOC is under process, not approved (full position).
CDA — Capital Development Authority, the authority for Islamabad.
RDA — Rawalpindi Development Authority.
PHATA — Punjab Housing and Town Planning Agency.
LDA / KDA / other authorities — the equivalent bodies for other cities and regions.
Building by-laws — the rules governing what you may build: covered-area ratio, setbacks, height, storeys (map approval).
Completion certificate — confirmation that construction complied with the approved plan.
Transaction and tax terms
Filer / non-filer — whether you appear on the Active Taxpayers List. It materially changes the tax you pay on property transactions (transfer taxes).
Capital gains tax (CGT) — tax on the gain when you dispose of property, with holding-period effects (how it works structurally).
Withholding tax — tax collected at the point of transaction.
Power of attorney (POA) — a document authorising someone to act for you, essential for overseas buyers transacting remotely (POA guide).
NICOP / POC — identity documents for overseas Pakistanis, used in place of a CNIC.
Market slang you will hear
Open file — a file not tied to a specific plot number, traded on the open market.
Own / premium — the amount above the society's rate that a resale seller asks, reflecting position or market demand.
Balloting — the draw allocating specific plot numbers to file holders (explained).
Possession charges — amounts payable at the point possession is taken, where a society levies them.
The three terms that cost people the most money
If you remember nothing else: know whether you are buying a file or an allotted plot; know whether development charges are in or out of the quoted price; and know the society's actual NOC status rather than its marketing claim. Those three questions prevent most of the losses we see.
Something here you want explained against a specific deal in front of you? Ask our team — no obligation, and we will tell you if the deal looks wrong.
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