Real estate associations propose Sindh Realtors Council Act 2026
More than 18 real estate associations from across Karachi have unanimously presented a draft "The Sindh Realtors Council Act, 2026" to the Government of Sindh, seeking a statutory licensing body for property brokerage in the province. The draft was presented at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, led by Kashif Shah, chairman of the All Karachi Realtors Alliance, and backed by leaders including Raheel Haroon of the All Karachi Realtors Association, Noor Ahmed Abrejo of the All Sindh Realtors Association and Hayat Khan of the Pakistan Real Estate Cobroker Association.
Shah said the proposed council would issue formal licences to realtors across Sindh, verifiable instantly through QR code technology, and would maintain a database of offices and agents. He argued that tax collection remains the responsibility of the FBR, but that no tax department can oversee professional ethics, training standards, licensing and career development. He drew comparisons with the PMDC for doctors, bar councils for lawyers and the PEC for engineers, and with licensing councils he said exist in Singapore, Canada, the United States, Australia and China.
The draft also proposes written agency agreements and client accounts to safeguard buyers' capital, an independent disciplinary committee for grievances, and a "Realtors Social Security, Pension, Insurance & Welfare Fund" offering monthly pensions after retirement, health insurance, accidental coverage and education stipends for members' children. Shah said the council would be neither a land title authority nor an adjudication body for land ownership, nor would it interfere in town planning by developers or builders. Existing associations would retain complete autonomy and their distinct identities, and council leadership would be elected through democratic elections, he said.
Speakers at the conference framed the proposal around provincial jurisdiction over real estate under the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Raheel Haroon said licensing and digital QR codes would accord the sector true professional dignity, while Noor Ahmed Abrejo said equal representation for small and large areas would guarantee the survival of realtors. Hayat Khan said written contracts and commission protection would stop the hard work of field workers and co-brokers being usurped, Haji Suhail Athar said client accounts would protect middle-class savings in expanding areas such as Surjani Town, and Shahid Umrani described the welfare fund as a historic step.
The associations said that following Sindh, preparations have been finalised to table the draft before other provincial assemblies and the federal parliament in collaboration with real estate associations nationwide. They jointly appealed to the Chief Minister of Sindh and members of the Sindh Provincial Assembly to complete legal vetting of the draft and enact it into law. The proposal remains a draft submitted to the provincial government rather than adopted legislation.
