Buying in DHA Quetta from Abroad: Power of Attorney, Tax Status and Payments

If you live outside Pakistan you can still buy, sell or take allocation of property in DHA Quetta. The short answer: DHA Quetta accepts a special power of attorney signed at a Pakistan embassy or consulate and attested by the Foreign Office, and it confirms the authority with you directly on a video call before acting on it. The rest is the same transfer procedure everyone follows.

This article covers the paperwork that distance adds. For the general checks, read what overseas Pakistanis should review before buying property.

When DHA Quetta asks for a power of attorney

DHA Quetta's transfer procedures say a special power of attorney or special authority letter "is required when seller or Purchaser are abroad or cannot be present at time of Transfer Process". A special power of attorney is limited to the acts it names. Have it drafted for this one transaction, and take independent legal advice before you sign. The procedures document was produced in May 2024, so confirm with DHA that the steps below are still current.

How the power of attorney is made abroad

1. 1The statement is prepared, and you (the executant) sign it in person at a Pakistan embassy or consulate, which attests it. Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says the executant must appear at the mission with the written statement and two witnesses.
2. 2Your attorney in Pakistan has the document attested again by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
3. 3The attorney takes it to DHA Quetta's head office or a regional office, together with your current WhatsApp number.
4. 4DHA Quetta calls you by video. Its procedure says the officer asks the customer to show their identity card and, once satisfied, makes the power of attorney live.

Two Pakistan missions, in Madrid and Stockholm, state on their attestation pages that a power of attorney must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 90 days and registered at the registrar's office within 120 days. Requirements differ slightly from mission to mission, so read your own mission's page before your appointment.

DHA Quetta publishes its own templates for a special power of attorney and a special authority letter on its downloads page. Using the authority's wording avoids a document being sent back.

What DHA records, and what your attorney can do

According to the procedures, the name and photograph on the transfer letter remain yours, while the biometrics recorded are those of the attorney. For a purchaser, a special authority letter on stamp paper allows an authorised person to give biometrics and collect the allocation letter.

DHA Quetta also publishes an affidavit for Pakistanis living abroad (an older template, dated 2021), under which a representative handles intimation or allocation and undertakes to produce the original notarised authorisation within three months, and under which the owner is to appear in person on returning to Pakistan before collecting the allocation letter. Ask DHA which of these routes fits your case.

Tax status with a NICOP or POC

Federal advance income tax is collected on a property transfer from both the seller and the purchaser. The Federal Board of Revenue's guidance for overseas Pakistanis says they are charged at the filer rate even if they are not on the active taxpayer list, on two conditions: they hold a NICOP or POC, and they are non-resident, meaning their stay in Pakistan in the financial year is under 183 days.

The same guidance says the authority recording the transfer starts the payment slip through the "Overseas Pakistanis" link on FBR's portal, where the NICOP or POC number and a scan are entered and the tax office approves the status. That guidance refers to the Finance Act 2025. The Board's summary of the 2026-27 budget sets out proposed changes to these taxes, so confirm the current treatment before the transfer date. We give no rates here.

Paying from abroad

How you pay is for you and your bank to settle. One official route is the State Bank of Pakistan's Roshan Apna Ghar, part of the Roshan Digital Account scheme for non-resident Pakistanis and POC holders. The State Bank describes it as a way "to digitally and remotely buy a property, build or renovate a house in Pakistan through their own investment or bank financing", with the bank releasing payment after valuing the property and screening the seller.

The State Bank's page does not say whether a particular DHA Quetta file or plot qualifies. That depends on your bank, so ask it before you commit to a seller.

Does DHA Quetta have an offer for overseas Pakistanis?

In May 2026 DHA Quetta published a notice headed Investment Opportunity for Overseas Pakistani, listing incentives and the categories of plot covered. The notice does not state an end date or how eligibility is proved. Read the current notice and confirm its terms with DHA Quetta. We could not find an "overseas block" or "overseas sector" named on DHA Quetta's website.

Checks that distance does not remove

• Have the specific file or plot verified by DHA Quetta before any payment. See how a plot is verified and transferred.
• Ask for the No Demand Certificate.
• Know exactly what you are buying: a file, an allocated property or a plot with possession.
• Give your attorney the narrowest authority that will complete the transaction.

How NASASI Estate works with overseas clients

NASASI Estate supports overseas clients with remote consultation and coordinated viewings, and can coordinate the checks described here with you and your attorney. We are not a law firm. See overseas investors or send an overseas enquiry.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a plot in DHA Quetta without travelling to Pakistan?

Yes. DHA Quetta's procedures provide for a special power of attorney or special authority letter where a seller or purchaser is abroad. The authority confirms it with you on a video call before acting on it.

Where do I sign a power of attorney if I live abroad?

At a Pakistan embassy or consulate, in person, where it is attested. It is then attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Pakistan before it is presented to DHA Quetta.

Do overseas Pakistanis pay a higher tax as non-filers?

The Federal Board of Revenue's guidance says overseas Pakistanis who hold a NICOP or POC and are non-resident are charged at the filer rate on property transfers even if they are non-filers. Changes to these taxes were proposed in the 2026-27 budget, so confirm the current position.

Can I pay through a Roshan Digital Account?

The State Bank of Pakistan's Roshan Apna Ghar scheme allows non-resident Pakistanis to buy property through their bank. Whether a specific DHA Quetta property qualifies is decided by the bank.

Sources

• DHA Quetta, Transfer and Record Directorate procedures and the procedures document linked from that page (the document carries no date; the file was produced in May 2024).
• DHA Quetta, downloads: Special Power of Attorney, Special Authority Letter, Affidavit for Foreign Residing Pakistanis (templates produced in 2021 and 2022).
• DHA Quetta news, Investment Opportunity for Overseas Pakistani, 17 May 2026.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Power of Attorney; Embassy of Pakistan, Madrid, FAQs regarding attestations; Embassy of Pakistan, Stockholm, FAQs.
• Federal Board of Revenue, frequently asked questions for overseas Pakistanis on sections 236C and 236K.
• State Bank of Pakistan, Roshan Apna Ghar.