Land snatching should be fought as Punjab property ownership reform act comes into force

The Punjab Property Ownership Amendment Act has now officially become effective and the Lahore High Court has set up property tribunals throughout the province to examine complaints of land grabbing and illegal occupation.

Chief Justice of Lahore High Court Justice Aalia Neelum has nominated 36 Additional Session Judges as heads of the tribunals for all districts of Punjab and has sent the list to the provincial administration.

At the same time, stay orders in 575 ongoing cases have been withdrawn and the matters have been referred to the newly created tribunals for continued proceedings under the changed legislative framework.

Under the amended statute, the tribunals will deal with issues relating to illegal possession of land and property disputes within their jurisdiction.

Committees headed by the deputy commissioners have already made recommendations on land encroachment cases and presented them to the appropriate tribunals for consideration.

The tribunals have been empowered to order recovery of occupied properties with police help. Those convicted might be sentenced to three to ten years in jail and fined millions of rupees.

According to the changed statute, either party in a matter being heard by another court can request its transfer to the committee led by the deputy commissioner, although the final decision on such a request will be taken by the court concerned.

Earlier, Chief Justice Justice Aalia Neelum had suspended proceedings citing apprehensions over the suspected exploitation of the Punjab Property Ownership Act. Punjab government has made revisions in the law, and all stay orders standing before the Lahore High Court have been dismissed.

The Additional Session Judges, who have been re-appointed, will act as tribunal heads and the transferred cases will be heard via the process set up under the modified statute.