NAB plans digital portal to curb scams

2026-02-02 - 03:26

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau is set to launch an Online Property Information System (OPIS) to protect citizens from housing scams following the collection of approved layout plans (LOPs) for more than 1,000 housing schemes. The initiative aims to provide awareness and information to the masses, including overseas Pakistanis, about private housing schemes in Pakistan. “With the new online system, anyone, including those abroad, can access layout plans of private schemes in Pakistan and verify plot locations,” NAB Director General Islamabad/Rawalpindi Region Waqar Chohan told Dawn. Mr Chohan said that PM Shehbaz Sharif will soon launch the system as NAB is ready to activate it. NAB calls this system a preventive measure against the “land mafia,” aimed at uniting provinces, regulators, and local bodies. The portal allows the public to verify legal status, layout plans, and land availability of private housing societies, protecting citizens’ savings from fraudulent and unapproved real estate projects. Under the system, provincial secretaries, regulatory authorities and local governments were formally mobilised to provide verified data regarding private housing societies and their land banks. The portal will serve as a centralised national repository for verified housing data, aiming to prevent fraud by ensuring accountability before losses occur. Published in Dawn, February 2nd, 2026