How Overseas Pakistanis File a Complaint With the Punjab OPC Online

Overseas Pakistanis with a problem in Punjab, such as a grabbed plot, a police matter or a stuck government file, can complain to the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission (OPC) online at ospc.punjab.gov.pk. We found no fee anywhere in the process. The OPC sends your case to the district committee or department concerned, which has 30 days to answer.

You can also walk into the OPC helpdesk at 1-Club Road, GOR-I, Lahore, or call +92 42 99202299. The commission works under the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission Act 2021, which gives its district committees power to summon people and inspect government records.

We read the Act, the OPC's redressal process and its complaint portal on 27 September 2026. We opened the registration form to see what it asks for, but did not file a complaint, because that needs a real grievance.

Who can complain to the Overseas Pakistanis Commission Punjab

Any person of Pakistani origin settled abroad, permanently or temporarily, for a job, a business or any other purpose with the intention of staying abroad, can complain. The grievance must involve Punjab, such as land, police, a department or a local dispute.

The OPC checks two things first: that you meet this definition, and that you attached the documents it needs. If either is missing, it asks you by phone, email or the portal's feedback box, and your complaint waits until you reply.

Typical complaints cover:

• Illegal possession of a house, plot or agricultural land.
• Fraud in a property sale, a fake power of attorney or a forged transfer.
• Police inaction, such as an FIR not being registered or an investigation stalled.
• Revenue record problems, like a wrong mutation or a Fard you cannot get.
• Delays or refusals by any Punjab government department.

The OPC has separate directors for revenue, legal and police matters, which tells you where most cases land.

How to file an OPC complaint online, step by step

The OPC's own guide has six steps: open ospc.punjab.gov.pk, register or log in, click "Add Complaint", fill in the summary and the person or office you are complaining against, upload your evidence, then submit and keep the Complaint ID to track progress.

1. Go to ospc.punjab.gov.pk. The page is titled "Punjab Overseas Pakistani's Complaint Portal".
2. New users click "Register Now". Existing users log in with their username and password.
3. Click "Add Complaint".
4. Write a short summary of your complaint, then add who the complaint is against.
5. Upload your supporting documents.
6. Click "Submit" and note your Complaint ID. You use it to track progress.

Write the summary like a timeline: what happened, when, where the property or case is, and what you want done. A committee that reads a clear two-paragraph summary acts faster than one that has to work out the story from 30 attachments.

Documents and details the OPC portal asks for

The registration form asks for your NICOP and passport details, your visa or iqama with dates, your addresses abroad and in Pakistan, your district in Punjab, and a contact person in Pakistan. Keep scans of your property papers, FIR and past applications ready to upload.

For the complaint itself, useful evidence includes the registry or sale deed, a recent Fard, mutation copies, an FIR or police application, court orders, and any letters from departments. If your NICOP has expired, renew it first, because the form asks for its dates. The NICOP and POC renewal process runs online through NADRA.

If your land record is the problem, getting a Fard online first gives the committee the current entry to work from.

What happens after you submit

The OPC refers your complaint online to the District Overseas Pakistanis Committee or the department concerned. The OPC says the first response should come within 7 days and redress within a month. A Dealing Officer tracks it, and the case closes as "Resolved" only when you confirm it.

1. OPC checks your status and documents.
2. The case is "Referred" to a district committee or department.
3. A Dealing Officer at the OPC follows it up.
4. The committee calls reports, and hears both sides in its meeting.
5. It sends a report back, and the case shows "Referred Back".
6. If you confirm you are satisfied, the Commissioner marks it "Resolved". If not, it goes back to the committee.

The law backs this up. Under section 7 of the 2021 Act, a department must reply to the Commissioner within 30 days. Under section 15, it must carry out the commission's recommendations within 30 days, and the commission can recommend disciplinary action against an officer who does not. The Commissioner can also send a case to the Punjab Ombudsman or recommend anti-corruption proceedings.

If you disagree with a decision of the committee or the Commissioner, section 16 lets you make a representation to the Additional Chief Secretary, Punjab, within 30 days.

OPC complaint or special court: choose carefully

An OPC complaint and a court case are different routes. While your complaint is under OPC inquiry, section 17 of the Act bars courts from hearing a suit on the same complaint. For a property dispute that needs a binding decree, Punjab's 2025 special courts law is the court route.

The Punjab Establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Act 2025 lets the government set up special courts, with the Lahore High Court's consent, for overseas Pakistanis' property cases. Its main rules are strict on time:

The court can order the property not to be sold during the case, attach it, hand possession to you or appoint a receiver. You can give evidence by video link through a Pakistani embassy or consulate. The Act defines an overseas Pakistani as someone living abroad for more than 182 days in a tax year, a narrower test than the OPC's.

We could not find the notification naming which courts sit as special courts on the Punjab Code, so ask a lawyer in your district which court hears these petitions. The OPC's services page also links to an Overseas Pakistanis Cell at the Lahore High Court.

One more warning. Section 14 of the OPC Act punishes a complaint based on fake information or tampered documents with up to six months in jail, a fine of up to Rs 1 million, or both.

Common questions

Is there a fee to file a complaint with OPC Punjab?

We found no fee in the OPC's published process or on the portal's registration and complaint screens.

How long does the OPC take to resolve a complaint?

The OPC aims for a first response within 7 days and redress within a month. Departments must reply to the Commissioner within 30 days under the Act.

Can a relative in Pakistan file the complaint for me?

The portal is built for the overseas Pakistani to register, with a contact person in Pakistan named on the form. The OPC can reach that person, and anyone acting for you in a property matter should hold a power of attorney verified by the Sub-Registrar.

Can I complain to OPC about the police?

Yes. The OPC has a Director for police matters, and a complaint about an FIR or a stalled investigation is referred to the police department or the district committee.

What if I am not satisfied with the OPC decision?

Tell the OPC through the portal and it can refer the case back. You can also make a representation to the Additional Chief Secretary, Punjab, within 30 days.

Does the OPC handle complaints from other provinces?

No. It covers matters in Punjab only. For federal bodies, the Pakistan Citizen Portal is the usual route, and a case closed there can be reopened if it was closed without action.

How we verified this

What we checked, where we read it, and what we could not confirm.

Last checked on 27 September 2026. The two ways to complain, the scrutiny rules, the 7-day first response and one-month redress target, the Dealing Officer, the "Referred", "Referred Back" and "Resolved" stages, the six filing steps, the contact details and the LHC Overseas Pakistanis Cell link are read on the Punjab OPC website and its complaint guide image. The registration form fields are read on ospc.punjab.gov.pk. The definition of an overseas Pakistani, the committees' powers, the 30-day reply and implementation duties, the representation, the bar on courts and the penalty for false complaints are read in the Punjab Overseas Pakistanis Commission Act 2021, and the special court rules in the Punjab Establishment of Special Courts (Overseas Pakistanis Property) Act 2025, both on the Punjab Code. We did not file a complaint.