The Governor of Punjab has issued a new succession law called, Punjab Succession Certificates Ordinance, 2021. It comprises 13 provisions only.
Following are the measures of the ordinance:
Now people will have to go to the NADRA office, not the court, to get the property of the deceased movable and immovable.
Where NADRA issues People's Identity Cards, it will now have to issue Family Success Certificate (FRC) in accordance with the succession certificate of people's property i.e. movable and immovable property.
Succession Facility Units will be set up at the NADRA offices to receive public requests for succession. As soon as a citizen dies leaving his land, property, or cash in a bank, his heirs will have to apply to the NADRA office instead of going to court.
Upon receipt of the application, the Authority will issue advertisements in English and Urdu. If no person submits an objection within 14 days, the Biometric Verification Authority will then issue a succession certificate.
Biometric verification can be done from Pakistan or any city in the world. The succession certificate issued by NADRA Authority will be the same as that issued by a court.
If a matter is difficult and complicated (ie if NADRA cannot determine the heirs) then the heirs will be able to approach the court on the order of the authority. Even if the authority does not issue the NADRA certificate within the period, it will be possible to approach the court.
The application for succession must be accompanied by the death certificate of the deceased, details of heirs, copies of heirs' identity cards, details of movable and immovable property.
If the heirs authorize one of the heirs to file an application, the document must also be attached. All applications for succession will be recorded online.
The application for succession can be filed in the same city where the deceased has died, or where his property or capital will be. If anyone has to object to the issuance of a succession certificate, he can do so in accordance with the law.
Under Section 10 of the Ordinance, no court will have the power to hear succession certificate cases. If NADRA does not issue the authority certificate, then the court can be approached. The ordinance will apply to the whole of Punjab. Fees, advertisements, etc. will be collected by NADRA Authority only.
