Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has strongly criticized the suspension of the Punjab Protection of Ownership Law 2025, warning that the public will perceive the move as backing the land-grabbing mafia. Responding to the Lahore High Court’s decision to suspend the implementation of the law, she said the legislation was introduced to provide long-overdue relief to millions of citizens who have suffered for decades due to prolonged property disputes and illegal occupations.
Maryam Nawaz emphasized that the core objective of the law was to ensure swift justice in land and property cases that traditionally linger in courts for years and, in many instances, across generations. Under the Punjab Protection of Ownership Law 2025, a clear timeframe of 90 days was set for the resolution of property-related disputes, a reform she described as historic and people-friendly. According to her, this provision alone had the potential to transform the lives of countless families trapped in endless litigation.
The Chief Minister stated that the law was enacted by the people’s elected representatives in the Punjab Assembly, exercising their constitutional right to legislate for the welfare of the public. She said the intent behind the law was to free ordinary citizens from the grip of powerful land mafias that exploit legal loopholes, delays, and stay orders to unlawfully occupy land and property. “For the first time,” she noted, “this law empowered citizens with a practical and effective mechanism to protect their legally owned land and property.”
Reacting to the court’s decision, Maryam Nawaz argued that the suspension of the law does not align with well-established principles laid down by the superior judiciary itself, particularly those emphasizing timely justice and protection of fundamental rights. She warned that halting the law’s enforcement would primarily benefit land grabbers, while ordinary people—especially the vulnerable—would once again be left at the mercy of influential groups.
She further said that in land-related cases, stay orders often continue for decades, effectively denying justice to rightful owners. In her view, the new law sought to break this cycle of delay and exploitation by introducing strict timelines and administrative clarity. “The suspension of this law does not harm me personally or politically,” she said, “but it directly affects the poor, the helpless, widows, the disadvantaged, and the oppressed, who were finally beginning to receive justice.”
Maryam Nawaz stressed that legislation is a constitutional prerogative of provincial assemblies and cannot be undermined without compelling legal grounds. She reiterated that the Punjab Assembly passed the law after careful consideration of public suffering caused by unresolved property disputes. According to her, millions of people across Punjab have been victims of illegal कब्जہ (occupation), forged documents, and prolonged court proceedings, and the new law was designed specifically to address these injustices.
The Chief Minister also expressed concern that the suspension sends a negative signal to the public. She said that people who had pinned their hopes on the law would naturally conclude that its suspension amounts to institutional support for the land mafia. “When a law meant to protect the weak is halted, and those who illegally occupy land stand to gain, public perception becomes inevitable,” she remarked.
She highlighted that secure property rights are fundamental to economic stability, social justice, and public confidence in the rule of law. Without effective protection of ownership, she warned, investment, development, and social harmony all suffer. The Punjab Protection of Ownership Law, she said, was a step toward restoring trust in the system by ensuring that justice is not delayed to the point where it becomes meaningless.
Maryam Nawaz reaffirmed her government’s commitment to standing with the common people of Punjab. She said her administration would continue to pursue legal and constitutional avenues to defend reforms aimed at protecting citizens’ rights. “Our struggle is not for power or prestige,” she concluded, “but for those ordinary men and women whose lives are ruined by endless property disputes and illegal occupation of their land.”
In closing, the Chief Minister maintained that the law represents hope for millions and that its suspension risks reversing progress made toward fairness and accountability in land ownership matters. She urged all stakeholders to consider the broader public interest and the suffering of the most vulnerable segments of society when evaluating such critical legal decisions.
