LAHORE: Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan on Tuesday promulgated the Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance and the Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
The amendment ordinance will promote digitalisation and innovation in Punjab Land Revenue Authority.
The amendment ordinance aims to strengthen the system of transparency, efficiency and accountability in land matters to facilitate land owners. The following amendments have been made in the Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance: The Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance has ensured partition of lands with transfer of possession. Reforms have been introduced in the appeals, review process.
A procedure for issuing summons, notices and announcements through electronic digital means has been devised. A legal procedure has been formulated for the demarcation of lands and eviction of illegal occupants.
An e-registration system has been introduced for land transfer. Under the new law, all land transfers will be made digital. The Patwari will have the power to make only hereditary transfers.
Under the new law, only the Board of Revenue will have the power to remand a case to the lower court.
Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider Khan also promulgated the Immovable Property Ownership Protection (Amendment) Ordinance 2026.
After the promulgation of this ordinance, a scrutiny committee will be established in place of the dispute resolution committee.
In addition to DC, DPO, ADCR, AC, SDPO, Circle Revenue Officer and officer-in-charge of police station have been added to the scrutiny committee.
For the crime of illegal possession, imprisonment of five to 10 years and a fine of up to Rs10m or both will be imposed. In case of false complaint, a fine of Rs0.5m and imprisonment of up to five years. In the previous law, complaints were filed before the Dispute Resolution Committee, but now the complaint will be filed before a tribunal consisting of serving judges. The tribunal will be obliged to send the complaint to the scrutiny committee for a report within three days. The committee will submit a report within 30 days, while in the previous law this period could be extended by 90 days with the permission of the commissioner. The tribunal will decide within 30 days, while earlier this period was 90 days.
In addition, under the said ordinance, the tribunal has been given the authority to hear connected offences in same trial, while earlier the jurisdiction of the tribunal was limited only to offences taken under this Act only. Instead of the DC, the tribunal has been given the authority to take preventive measures.
After the promulgation of the ordinance, serving additional and session sessions judges would be members of the tribunal, while earlier retired judges of the high court and sessions court were members.
Meanwhile, the Punjab governor has paid tribute to the security forces and soldiers for foiling the cowardly attack of terrorists on the Bajaur check post.
Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2026