CM Punjab Responds After LHC Suspends Land Protection Law

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed strong disapproval over the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) decision to suspend the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act 2025, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

The chief minister warned that the court’s ruling would benefit land-grab mafias and undermine public trust in the justice system.

She argued that the suspension contradicted established principles of the superior judiciary and could be perceived as siding with powerful landowners at the expense of vulnerable citizens.

CM Maryam highlighted that the law was designed to provide comprehensive legal and administrative protection to poor and oppressed property owners.

It introduced a 90-day timeframe for resolving disputes, addressing cases that had often lingered for decades. She stressed that the legislation empowered citizens to safeguard legally owned land and was enacted in the interest of the public, not for personal gain.

The LHC, in a series of hearings, suspended enforcement of the law and ordered the reversal of all property transfers made under it.

Chief Justice Aalia Neelum criticised the ordinance, questioning the credibility of property documentation, the role of revenue officials, and the legal authority of dispute resolution committees established under the law.

The court expressed concern that the law undermined civil judges and granted sweeping powers to officials, potentially jeopardising citizens’ civil rights.

The Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025, aimed to combat land grabbing with strict penalties of 5–10 years in prison and fast-track dispute resolution through District Dispute Resolution Committees (DRCs).

CM Maryam warned that halting the law would shatter the hopes of millions of citizens, particularly widows and the poor, who were finally able to seek justice against illegal land grabs.