LAHORE – The Punjab government on Friday approved the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025, introducing a fast-track mechanism to curb land grabbing and unlawful possession of public property across the province.
Chairing a high-level meeting on public ownership issues, Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif announced that land dispute cases in Punjab will no longer drag on for years. Under the new system, all land possession cases will be resolved within 90 days through a Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).
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“No one will be allowed to seize anyone’s land in Punjab anymore,” the chief minister declared. “For a common person, a small piece of property is their entire world, and the mafia used to exploit that. The state, like a mother, will stand with the weak — whoever owns the land has the right to it. We have permanently shut the chapter of land mafias.”
As per the ordinance, each district will establish a six-member DRC headed by the Deputy Commissioner and including the District Police Officer and other officials. All private land possession disputes must first be heard by these committees before approaching courts. Appeals will be reviewed by a Special Tribunal, led by a retired High Court judge, which will also decide cases within 90 days.
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The Punjab government has directed authorities to make the committees functional within 30 days. Once a decision is finalized, encroached land will be reclaimed within 24 hours. To ensure transparency, the government is also considering digital record-keeping and live social media streaming of proceedings, along with the possible involvement of the Para Force to recover occupied properties.