Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has taken a major step to protect the common properties of churches, gurdwaras, temples and other minority places of worship and institutions in Punjab and has decided to enact effective legislation to protect the common properties of minorities.
Under the legislation, along with minority institutions, institutions working for the welfare of minorities through government grants, charities, and foreign funding, will also be considered as common properties.
The bill for the protection of common properties of minorities in the province for the year 2026 has been submitted to the Punjab Assembly.
The bill was submitted by Philbos Christopher, Chairman of the Punjab Assembly Standing Committee on Minority Affairs.
Under the bill, an empowered Provincial Action Committee will be established under the legislation to protect the common properties of all minorities living in the province.
The chairperson of the committee will be a minority member nominated by the Chief Minister in the Provincial Assembly.
The Secretary Human Rights and Minority Affairs and the Secretary Law and Parliamentary Affairs will be among the members of the committee.
Senior Member Board of Revenue and Deputy Inspector General of Police Punjab will also be members of the committee, six persons belonging to minorities, including a woman, will also be members of the committee.
The empowered Provincial Action Committee will maintain a record of the joint properties of minorities across the province, the committee will also monitor the encroachments on the joint properties, illegal occupation and misuse of these properties.
The committee will also give its recommendations to the government on the sale, transfer and lease of such joint properties, the committee will facilitate all minorities living in the province in the matter of their joint properties.
Under the legislation, the sale, transfer in the name of anyone, lease and mortgage of all joint properties cannot be done without government permission.
All matters including transfer, sale and lease done without government permission will have no legal status.
Property and constructions acquired from government assistance, public funds, financial support from philanthropists, charity, joint donations, foreign funding and donations collected for the welfare of minorities should also be considered as joint properties.
No person will be entitled to claim ownership of a single joint property, all such joint properties that are already registered in the name of a single person will be required to be transferred to joint properties within six months of the enactment of the legislation.
According to the bill, a person involved in the crime of selling, transferring or leasing the joint properties of minorities can be punished with seven years of imprisonment and a fine of one lakh rupees.