LAHORE:Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider has promulgated Punjab Land Revenue (Amendment) Ordinance and Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026.
The amendment ordinance will promote digitalisation and innovation in Punjab Land Revenue. 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 and mense profit. 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 governor 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 5 to 10 years and a fine of up to 10 million or both will be imposed. In case of false complaint, a fine of Rs5 lakh and imprisonment of up to 5 years. The tribunal will be obliged to send the complaint to the Scrutiny Committee for a report within 3 days. The Scrutiny 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. Serving Additional Sessions Judges will be members of the tribunal, while earlier retired judges of the High Court and Sessions Court were members.
Meanwhile, the governor has paid tribute to the security forces and soldiers for foiling cowardly attack of terrorists on Bajaur checkpost.
