Transferring Father's Land on One's Own Name Through a Patwari

QUESTION:

I live in UK. I have gone on holiday to Pakistan. There is a land in Pakistan which was in my father’s name. I am trying to get it rightfully transferred in my name. I am the rightful heir according to Shariah. All family is aware and this is part of my Shariah share of inheritance.

However, the situation in Pakistan is very complicated. There are 2 ways to get a land transferred to your name. One is you have to go to court; they will tell you to pay the fees and come tomorrow, come tomorrow, and it lasts for so many years. The second way is, there is someone called a Patwari. The Patwari has a higher position. He can do the transfer in a very very short time, but obviously, he also charges a large sum. So, would this be classed a service charge or would it be classed as bribery? Cause this is the way it works in Pakistan. You have to keep paying everybody to get your work done.

Bear in mind that it is legal according to the law of Pakistan, it’s their job to assist you with any land issues (that’s the job role).

I also went to the DC office (the legal side) they advised me to go to the Patwari and he will get the job done a lot quicker.

The normal turnaround time can be 1-2 years, but these guys bend the rules, jump the que and get things done within weeks, but charge an extortionate amount to do the job.

Just to let you know again it is legal according to the law of Pakistan to do it through a Patwari. It is also a norm.