The Lahore High Court has suspended the operation of the newly enacted Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance, 2025, halting its enforcement across the province.
Chief Justice Aalia Neelum issued the order while hearing petitions that challenged actions taken under the ordinance. The law allows committees led by deputy commissioners to decide property disputes, a provision that drew sharp criticism from petitioners.
During the proceedings, the chief justice questioned the ordinance’s scope and consequences. She warned that if the law remained in force, even high-profile properties could face swift eviction without adequate legal safeguards.
شکریہ چیف جسٹس لاہور ہائیکورٹ مس عالیہ نیلم صاحبہ۔۔۔۔۔۔
چیف جسٹس لاہور ہائیکورٹ نے پنجاب پراپرٹی اونر شپ آرڈیننس پر عمل درآمد روکتے ہوئے چیف سیکرٹری سے کہا کہ چیف سیکرٹری صاحب حکومت کو بتائیے کہ یہ آرڈنینس رہ گیا تو آدھے گھنٹے میں جاتی امرا ہاتھ سے نکل جائے گا.#Punjab pic.twitter.com/6M3wIGOgui
— Mian Dawood (@miandawoodadv) December 22, 2025Read: Lahore High Court Orders Action Against Punjab University Smoke-Emitting Buses
“Someone should inform the government that if this law continues, even Jati Umra could be vacated within half an hour,” she remarked, highlighting concerns about due process and property rights.
The court’s interim order suspends all actions taken under the ordinance until further hearings. Legal observers say the decision signals serious judicial concern about executive overreach in civil property matters and reinforces the courts’ role in resolving such disputes.
The case is expected to continue in the coming days as the court examines the ordinance’s constitutional and legal validity in greater detail.
