Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday expressed concern over the suspension of the Punjab Immovable Property Ordinance by the Lahore High Court (LHC), warning that the interim order would benefit land grabbers and harm ordinary citizens across the province.
On Monday, the Lahore High Court restrained the enforcement of the Punjab Property Ownership Ordinance and ordered the return of all possessions transferred under the law.
In a statement, the chief minister said the ordinance was introduced to provide swift justice to people entangled in land and property disputes for years. She said the law, for the first time, fixed a 90-day timeframe for deciding land and property cases to provide immediate relief to millions of affected citizens.
Maryam Nawaz said the legislation was passed by the elected provincial assembly to protect people from the land mafia and empower citizens to safeguard their legally owned property. She maintained that the law was evidence-based and covered all administrative and legal aspects, adding that the court’s decision was not in line with established judicial principles.
The chief minister warned that suspending the ordinance would favour land grabbers and the qabza mafia while causing harm to the poor and oppressed segments of society. She added that property-related cases often remain pending for decades due to prolonged stay orders and stressed that the law was not enacted for her personal benefit.
Law-making is the constitutional right of the provincial assembly, and it cannot be stopped from legislation,” she said, adding that the suspension could extinguish the last hope for justice among vulnerable citizens.
Earlier, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued a two-page interim written order on Monday night, barring the implementation of the ordinance. During proceedings, the chief justice questioned the intent and scope of the law and remarked that if it remained in force, properties could be taken over swiftly. She also observed that excessive powers could not be vested in any authority and raised questions about the objective of the legislation.
