ISLAMABAD: While terming the recently promulgated Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 as “unlawful aspirations” of land mafias, the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) on Saturday did not stop at condemning it and warned the government against enforcing it.
The current PBC cabinet, chaired by vice chairman Chaudhry Tahir Nasrullah Warraich, agreed that the Punjab government should forthwith withdraw the law and apologize to the Lahore High Court (LHC) for the “derogatory remarks and rude posture”.
The PBC — the top regulatory body of the legal profession — said that lawyers are supporting LHC and no one would be allowed to play with judicial integrity.
The council said if corrective steps were not taken in few days the lawyer community “will be forced to launch movement on this issue.
The deal The LHC chief justice suspended the law’s operation on Dec 22 and referred its matter to a full bench.
بریکنگ نیوز: پاکستان بار کونسل نے پنجاب پروٹیکشن آف اونرشپ آف اموویبل پراپرٹی ایکٹ دو ہزار پچیس کو متفقہ طور پر مسترد کر دیا۔
پاکستان بار کونسل نے خبردار کیا ہے کہ پنجاب حکومت لینڈ مافیا کی غیر قانونی خواہشات کو نافذ کرنے سے باز رہے۔ pic.twitter.com/EZw2ZwBcPR— Nadir Baloch (@BalochNadir5) December 27, 2025
The furore over the fresh legislation escalated on December 24, when several lawyers’ organisations — disregarding their political inclinations — supported the Lahore High Court’s move to have its enforcement stayed.
The PBC adopted a resolution on the issue when it met here Saturday in its 247th meeting at the Supreme Court Building.
The unanimously resolution had turned down and disapproved the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Act, 2025 that authorises deputy commissioner (DC)-led committees to settle property disputes.
It also censured the Punjab government for enacting the Act and held that it was not only unconstitutional and illegal but was also repugnant to Qanoon-i-Shahadat, Civil Procedure Code (CPC), Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), Evidence Act, Illegal Dispossession Act and all other laws on the subject so rendering their provisions nugatory. It said the issue had been challenged and the LHC was right in suspending it.
The house applauded and thanked the LHC CJ for issuing a timely order, noting that the fresh legislation was violative of time-tested legal principles settled in regard to elderships.
The resolution also voiced apprehension that the law had established a parallel system of justice where property-related disputes would be adjudicated by deputy commissioners, district police chiefs, revenue officers and others in government service rather than courts — custom it described as totally illegal.
The PBC also noted that the new law broke down civil judicial system, civil rights and judicial supremacy as it authorised a revenue officer to deliver possession of property, which sub-judice in the civil court – indicating an effort by certain forces/elements to seek encompassing all powers including judiciary.
The resolution regretted that the Punjab government reportedly adopted tactics of trolling and propaganda against LHC chief justice and judiciary. The council therefore condemned the attack against the LHC after suspension of Act.
The council voiced serious concern over the attitude of the Punjab government, regretting that instead of releasing the act, its most prominent executive seemed to have been surrounded by advisers who were safeguarding land mafias and grabbers’ interests and this is why they enacted the Act.
The resolution stressed that it was the judiciary’s responsibility to restrain and redress such illegal practices in pursuance of natural justice, transparency and fairness as ordered by the LHC.
It added that under the constitution, interpreration of laws is the exclusive domain of the judiciary and it was appropriate on part of LHC chief justice to set aside a provision which appeared to be eroding judicial authority.
