Anyone who buys, sells or inherits land in Punjab soon meets a set of words that sound unfamiliar: khasra, khewat, khatoni, jamabandi, girdawari and more. They appear on the fard, in the sale deed and in every conversation with the patwari. Not knowing them makes it easy to misread a record or to miss a problem with the land. This guide explains the most common land record terms in plain language, how they connect to each other and how to use them when you check a property.
Quick answer: A khasra number identifies a specific field or parcel of land in a village. A khewat number is the ownership account that groups the owners of that land, and a khatoni number groups the people who cultivate or occupy it. All of these are recorded in the jamabandi, the village record of rights, and a fard is an official extract from that record showing who owns what share.
The Basic Units: Mauza, Patwar Circle and Tehsil
- Mauza: a revenue village or estate. Every piece of land in the record belongs to a mauza.
- Patwar circle: the group of mauzas looked after by one patwari, the official who keeps the village records.
- Tehsil and district: the larger administrative areas. Most record services in Punjab are now provided through land record centres at tehsil level.
When you search a record, you always start with the district, tehsil and mauza.
Khasra Number: Which Piece of Land?
The khasra number is the plot or field number given to a parcel of land in the mauza. Think of it as the address of the land on the village map. If a field is divided, for example by sale or inheritance, new numbers are created from the old one, such as 45/1 and 45/2.
In older canal colony areas you will also see murabba and killa numbers. A murabba is a large square block of land, traditionally 25 acres, and a killa is roughly one acre inside it.
Khewat Number: Who Owns It?
The khewat number is an ownership account. It groups together the owners who share a holding, along with each owner's share. One khewat can contain several khasra numbers, and one owner can appear in more than one khewat. When you buy land, the seller's name and share must appear in the khewat you are buying from.
Khatoni Number: Who Cultivates It?
The khatoni number groups the people who cultivate or occupy the land, such as the owner himself or a tenant. Each khewat has one or more khatonis. If the khatoni shows a tenant or another occupant, ask about their rights before you buy, because possession and ownership are not always with the same person.
Jamabandi: The Record of Rights
The jamabandi, also called the register of rights in land, is the main village record. It lists every khewat, khatoni and khasra with owners, shares, cultivators, area and land type. It is updated periodically, traditionally every four years, and changes in between are recorded through mutations.
Intiqal (Mutation): Recording a Change
An intiqal or mutation is the entry that records a change of ownership in the land record, for example after a sale, gift or inheritance. A registered sale deed is followed by a mutation in the buyer's name. Inheritance is recorded through an inheritance mutation. Our guides to the sale deed in Pakistan and inheritance mutation in Punjab explain both.
Fard: Your Extract From the Record
A fard, often called fard-e-malkiat, is an official copy of the record for a particular owner or holding. It shows the khewat, khatoni and khasra numbers, the owner's share and the area. A fard is needed for sale, mortgage, inheritance and many official purposes. Our guide to the fard online check in Punjab explains how to verify one.
Other Terms You May Hear
Girdawari
The patwari's crop inspection, carried out each season, which records what is grown on each khasra and who is cultivating it.
Aks Shajra
A copy of the village map showing the shape and position of each khasra. It helps you check boundaries on the ground.
Tatima
A sketch prepared when a khasra is divided, showing the new parts and their measurements.
Patwari and Tehsildar
The patwari maintains village records, and the tehsildar is the revenue officer above him who attests mutations and hears revenue matters.
How to Use These Terms When Buying Land
- Get the khasra numbers of the land from the seller and check them on the aks shajra and on the ground.
- Obtain a recent fard and match the seller's name, CNIC and share in the khewat.
- Check the khatoni for any tenant or other occupant.
- Ask whether any mutation is pending on the khewat.
- Convert the area to square feet so you know exactly what you are paying for. Our guide to marla to square feet lists the land units.
Once the record is clear, compare prices of similar land and plots on Pakistan Property before you agree a deal.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What Is a Khasra Number?
It is the number given to a specific field or parcel of land in a mauza, like an address on the village map.
2. What Is the Difference Between Khewat and Khatoni?
Khewat groups the owners of a holding and their shares. Khatoni groups the people who cultivate or occupy the land.
3. What Is Jamabandi?
Jamabandi is the village record of rights that lists owners, shares, cultivators, area and land type for each holding.
4. What Is Fard-e-Malkiat?
It is an official extract from the land record showing the ownership and share of a particular owner.
5. Where Can I Find My Khasra Number?
It appears on your fard, earlier sale deeds and mutations. You can also ask the land record centre or the patwari.
6. Why Does a Khasra Number Have a Slash, Like 45/1?
The slash shows that the original khasra has been divided, usually after a sale or inheritance, and the land now has new parts.
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