Legal Concerns Over Punjab’s New e-Stamp OTP Verification System — A Barrier to Accessing Justice
By: Pak-Lawyer Associates, Lahore
The Government of Punjab has recently revised the procedure for purchasing e-Stamp papers in Punjab through the Punjab Board of Revenue (BOR). Under this new policy, every citizen must now verify their identity via a One-Time Password (OTP) sent to their registered mobile number before they can buy an e-Stamp paper online.
While this step aims to promote digitization and transparency in Pakistan’s stamping system, the OTP-based verification has caused significant inconvenience to citizens — especially women from rural areas, students, and foreign nationals — who often lack access to registered mobile numbers.
1. What Is the New e-Stamp OTP System?
The Punjab e-Stamping System, introduced by the Board of Revenue Punjab, now requires every applicant to provide a mobile number registered in their own name. The system automatically sends an OTP for verification before the e-Stamp can be generated.
This measure is intended to reduce fraud, impersonation, and unauthorized issuance of stamp papers. However, despite these good intentions, the practical implementation has revealed serious flaws and inequities.
2. Major Problems with OTP-Based e-Stamp Verification
a. Women Without Mobile Numbers
Thousands of women in Punjab, especially in rural and semi-urban areas, do not own personal mobile phones or have SIM cards registered in their CNICs. Such women cannot receive OTPs and are effectively denied access to legal documentation such as affidavits, property agreements, or family settlements.
b. Students and Minors
Students frequently need e-Stamps for educational affidavits, visa processing, or scholarship forms. Many of them are under 18 and therefore ineligible to have SIM cards in their names. Without an alternative verification process, they cannot obtain legal documents that are essential for their education or travel.
c. Foreign Nationals and Overseas Pakistanis
Foreign citizens and overseas Pakistanis face a similar issue: the e-Stamp portal only accepts local mobile numbers. Since foreigners and many overseas citizens don’t have Pakistani SIMs, they are unable to comply with OTP requirements — even when they possess valid passports and CNICs.
d. Family Law Issues — Divorce and Affidavit Matters
In family law cases, the problem becomes even more severe. When a husband seeks an e-Stamp for a divorce deed (Talaq), the system often requires OTP verification from both parties, including the wife. This requirement is impossible and illogical, as such parties are typically estranged and not in contact.
Consequently, many lawyers are now advising clients to issue divorce notices or affidavits on plain paper, duly signed and attested, until a workable solution emerges. This, however, undermines the credibility and authenticity of legal documents in Pakistan.
3. Legal and Social Implications
The new e-Stamp OTP policy is creating barriers to justice rather than facilitating it.
- Many genuine citizens are unable to complete lawful transactions or file family and property documents.
- The policy risks increasing informal documentation, as people turn to plain paper alternatives.
- Lawyers are facing daily difficulties in filing legally compliant documents due to these unnecessary restrictions.
The purpose of technology is to simplify legal processes, not to exclude those who lack digital access. Without inclusive mechanisms, digitalization becomes a tool of exclusion.
4. Recommendations for the Government of Punjab
As practicing lawyers, Pak-Lawyer Associates strongly urge the Government of Punjab and the Punjab Board of Revenue (BOR) to address this issue on a priority basis. The following recommendations may help balance security with accessibility:
- Introduce CNIC-based or biometric verification as an alternative to OTP for citizens without mobile phones.
- Authorize lawyers or registered stamp vendors to purchase e-Stamps on behalf of clients under a verified affidavit.
- Allow foreign nationals and overseas Pakistanis to verify through email or passport number instead of local mobile OTP.
- Remove dual OTP verification requirements in family law matters such as divorce or maintenance affidavits.
- Establish help desks and awareness centers at local district courts and revenue offices to assist the public.
5. Conclusion
Digitization is the future of legal documentation in Pakistan — but digital progress must not come at the cost of public accessibility. The e-Stamp OTP system in its current form has unintentionally disenfranchised women, students, and overseas Pakistanis who have every right to access legal documentation in Punjab.
Until the system is revised, many will continue facing delays, confusion, and legal complications, forcing them toward informal alternatives. The Government of Punjab must reconsider and reform this policy in consultation with legal experts and public representatives to ensure that modernization does not become exclusion.
Pak-Lawyer Associates
Advocates & Legal Consultants
📍 2nd Floor, Mian Khalid Plaza, 1-Fane Road, Lahore, Pakistan
📞 +92 42 37110092 | 📱 +92 321 4610092
🌐 www.paklawyer.com
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