RAWALPINDI:
The government has officially published a gazette notice introducing new laws aimed at ending years-long delays in cases related to property division and ancestral inheritance. Certified copies of the new legislation and SOPs have been distributed to district and session judges, all officers of the finance department, commissioners, deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners (revenue), Patwar circles and tehsildars to ensure effective implementation.
According to the new notification, hearings in property division cases will now be conducted electronically rather than through traditional paper records. Litigants will be able to access the details of their hearings online from home.
The time limit for deciding on sharing cases has been reduced from 180 days to 60 days. If a revenue officer fails to decide a case within 60 days, it will automatically be transferred to the deputy commissioner. Across Punjab, legal heirs will also be able to mutually share inherited property through a simplified process.
To ensure rapid resolution of disputes, cases may be referred to a mediation committee. The deadline for appealing has been set at 30 days and appeal decisions must also be rendered within 30 days. The factors causing delays in the proceedings have been eliminated and no appeals will be entertained against the interim orders.
The government implemented these changes by amending the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967.
Commenting on the new law, district bar association president Tariq Mahmood Sajid Awan said significant results would depend on effective implementation. He noted that although previous law required a decision within 180 days, cases often dragged on for up to 10 years. Even if the deadline has now been reduced, its practical impact remains to be measured.
Currently, nearly a million cases related to property and ancestral land disputes are pending across Punjab before courts, relevant authorities and revenue commissions, most of them pending for one to five years. He urged the government to issue immediate orders to resolve pending cases within 40 days, warning that if old cases persist, new cases may not be disposed of for three to four years.
