Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has expressed serious concern over the Lahore High Court’s decision to suspend the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025. She warned that stopping the law could help land grabbers and encroachment mafias regain strength.
In a statement released by the Chief Minister’s Office on Tuesday, Maryam said the suspension of the law went against the interests of ordinary citizens. Her reaction came a day after LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued an interim order halting the implementation of the new act. The law allows deputy commissioner led committees to resolve land and property disputes.
Maryam explained that the act was approved with a clear purpose. It aimed to provide fast relief to people who have suffered for years due to long and delayed property cases. According to the law, land disputes must be resolved within 90 days, a move she described as historic.
She said property cases in Pakistan often drag on for decades and sometimes even pass from one generation to another. The new law, she added, fixed this long-standing issue by setting a strict time limit for decisions. Maryam called it a major reform to protect citizens from powerful and influential land mafias.
The chief minister stressed that the Punjab Assembly, which is democratically elected, passed the law to serve the public interest. She said the legislation was designed to free common people from the pressure and exploitation of land grabbers.
Maryam further stated that the act empowers citizens to protect land and property that they legally own. She maintained that suspending the law weakens efforts to bring justice and fairness to the property system.
The government, she said, remains committed to standing with the public and ensuring that land mafias do not benefit at the cost of ordinary people.