Treasury defends land law as pro-poor, Opposition accuses govt of backing land grabbers
LAHORE:
Treasury lawmakers in the Punjab Assembly on Tuesday questioned the Opposition and the judiciary over the Lahore High Court’s decision to suspend the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025, arguing that opposition to the law amounted to resistance against the interests of the poor and victims of land grabbing.
Participating in the debate, ruling party members warned that interference by one institution in the domain of another would deepen institutional friction and create bitterness. In response, Opposition members accused the government of acting as a patron of the “qabza mafia”.
PML-N MPA Iftikhar Hussain Chachar said that regardless of whether the law remained in force, opposing it meant standing against the poor and protecting illegal occupiers and an outdated system.
He added that if courts had reservations, the law should be referred back to the Assembly for rectification through amendments, rather than being suspended.
Treasury MPA Ali Haider Noor Niazi defended the ordinance, describing it as a long-awaited relief for victims of land grabbing.
He cited cases of a widow who failed to reclaim her property for 25 years and even the daughter of a judge who could not recover her land despite her father’s service to the judiciary. According to him, the ordinance had finally delivered justice where traditional court processes had failed.
He warned that the suspension of the law had once again disheartened victims, forcing them back into prolonged litigation.
Punjab Transport Minister Bilal Akbar told the House that the introduction of the property law had resulted in decisions in nearly 5,000 to 10,000 cases, providing relief to those trapped in long-standing disputes.
He accused the Opposition of political point-scoring, noting that parties that once criticised the judiciary were now portraying themselves as its champions for political gain.
Clarifying the government’s stance, he said there was no intention to disrespect the courts, but stressed that legislation was the constitutional right of the Assembly.
He announced that the government would re-table the law and have it passed again.
Responding from the Opposition benches, MPA Riffat Zaidi alleged that the government wanted to sideline the courts to resolve matters unilaterally. Opposition MPA Ali Imtiaz Warraich suggested that the treasury should challenge the LHC order through legal means instead of criticising the chief justice.
Punjab Minister Zeeshan Rafiq said that drafting and framing laws was the exclusive constitutional prerogative of the Assembly, urging both the Opposition and the judiciary to support legislation aimed at delivering justice to the public.
Treasury MPA Ahsan Raza emphasised that the issue was about public welfare, not political leadership, and warned against politicising a law that directly affected common citizens.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari also defended the ordinance, stating that it was enacted to safeguard the rights of widows, orphans, overseas Pakistanis and ordinary citizens against land mafias.
