CM Maryam unveils landmark ordinance to protect landowners, end land grabbing

• Punjab approves Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025
• Punjab CM vows no one will now snatch anyone’s land in Punjab, saying DRCs to decide property cases within 90 days

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Thursday announced a landmark step to protect citizens’ property rights, declaring that “no one will now snatch anyone’s land in Punjab” as the state stands firmly “like a mother with every weak person.”

Chairing a high-level meeting, the Chief Minister approved the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025, a first-of-its-kind legal framework aimed at curbing land grabbing and ensuring swift justice to victims of encroachment.

Maryam Nawaz said that for an ordinary citizen, even a small piece of land means “a whole universe,” yet land mafias have long deprived people of their rightful possessions. The new law, she said, will permanently rein in encroachment networks across the province.

Under the ordinance, Dispute Resolution Committees (DRCs) will be established in every district to decide property possession cases within 90 days. An appeal against a DRC verdict will be heard by a special tribunal headed by a retired High Court judge, which will also be bound to decide appeals within 90 days.

The Chief Minister directed that the committees be made functional within 30 days, ensuring swift recovery of land from encroachers within 24 hours of the DRC’s decision.

Authorities briefed the meeting that the 6-member District Settlement Committees, headed by the Deputy Commissioner and including the District Police Officer (DPO) and other key officials, will handle property disputes before they even reach the courts — providing speedy, out-of-court redressal for long-pending cases.

The meeting also reviewed recommendations to hire a PERA enforcement force to reclaim encroached public land, while proposals for digital property records and live social media streaming of proceedings were discussed to ensure complete transparency.

Maryam Nawaz said the initiative embodies her government’s vision of “swift justice and secure ownership,” ensuring that every rightful property holder in Punjab can live without fear of land mafias.