LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Tuesday expressed strong concern over the suspension of the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 by the Lahore High Court (LHC), arguing that the move would “benefit encroachment and land-grabbing mafias”.

The statement issued by the CM’s Office comes a day after LHC Chief Justice Aalia Neelum in an interim order suspended the operation of the newly enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025, which empowers dispute resolution committees led by deputy commissioners to resolve property disputes.

The ordinance was approved by the Punjab chief minister on Oct 31 and mandates the resolution of land disputes within 90 days.

The law was challenged in the LHC, about which the chief minister argued that its enactment was aimed at providing long-awaited relief to citizens suffering from prolonged land and property disputes.

Says the legislation doesn’t benefit her, nor does its suspension

“The legislation, for the first time, fixed a 90-day time frame for the resolution of land and property cases that have historically dragged on for years and even generations,” she said, terming the law a “major step” toward protecting ordinary citizens from land mafias.

She emphasised the “democratically elected Punjab Assembly had passed the law to free the public from the grip of influential land mafias”. She regretted the decision to suspend its operation “is not in line with the settled principles laid down by the superior judiciary”.

She highlighted that progress in cases pertaining to land and property would often be stalled by stay orders for decades, and justice was being denied to rightful owners. “This law was neither made for my personal benefit nor does its suspension harm me personally,” she said, adding that “real loss” from its suspension would be borne by the poor, widows, the helpless, and other marginalised citizens who were finally beginning to receive relief.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2025