LAHORE: The Punjab government on Friday approved the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025 to tackle those involved in land grabbing and unlawful possession of public property.Presiding over a key 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, every land possession case will be decided within 90 days through a Dispute Resolution Committee (DRC).
The CM stated, “No one will be allowed to seize anyone’s land in Punjab anymore. 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.”According to the Property Ordinance 2025, every land dispute case must be decided within 90 days by the DRC. Appeals will be heard by a Special Tribunal, headed by a retired High Court judge, which will also be bound to decide within 90 days.
Each district in Punjab will establish a six-member Dispute Resolution Committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner and including the District Police Officer and other officials. Before approaching courts, all private land possession issues will first go through these committees.