In a move aimed at curbing land disputes and improving the way property matters are handled, Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan has promulgated two new ordinances to reform land administration and protect ownership rights across the province.
The ordinances amend existing land revenue and property protection laws. Officials say the changes are meant to bring transparency, speed up processes and make it harder for illegal occupants to exploit weaknesses in the system.
Land-related disputes have long been a major problem in Punjab, often tied to outdated records, slow procedures and overlapping authority. The new laws attempt to address these issues by introducing digital processes and clearly defining responsibilities at different administrative levels.
Under the amended Punjab Land Revenue law, land partition cases will now include the transfer of possession and settlement of mesne profit, a step expected to reduce prolonged litigation. The law also updates the appeals and review process, while allowing official notices, summons and public announcements to be issued electronically.
Clear procedures have been laid down for land demarcation and the eviction of illegal occupants. One of the most significant changes is the introduction of mandatory electronic registration for land transfers, making digital documentation the standard rather than the exception.
The role of patwaris has also been limited. They will now handle hereditary transfers only, while the power to remand cases to lower courts has been given exclusively to the Board of Revenue.
In a separate move, the governor promulgated amendments to the law protecting ownership of immovable property. The existing dispute resolution committee has been replaced with a stronger scrutiny committee that includes senior revenue and police officials at the district level.
The amended law also introduces tougher punishments for illegal possession of property, including imprisonment of five to ten years and fines of up to Rs 10 million, or both.
