LAHORE: In a decisive move against illegal land grabbing, the Standing Committee on Revenue of the Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property (Amendment) Bill 2026, introducing strict penalties including heavy fines and imprisonment for those involved in qabza and fraudulent property dealings.

The committee meeting was held under the chairmanship of Acting Chairperson MPA Chaudhry Mehmood Ahmed and was attended by officers from the Punjab Assembly and other relevant government departments.

The amendment seeks to provide stronger legal protection to land and property owners by targeting illegal occupants and individuals using fake ownership documents. Under the revised law, tougher punishments have been proposed to deter land grabbing and property fraud.

To ensure quicker resolution of disputes, the bill also proposes the establishment of special district-level committees. Additionally, it calls for the digitalisation of land records and property transfer systems to enhance transparency and reduce manipulation. The legislation aims to curb property-related fraud, accelerate dispute resolution, and make property ownership more secure across Punjab.

PAC-I reviews audit objections in hospitals

Also, a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee-I was held under the chairmanship of Chaudhry Iftikhar Hussain Chachar. During the meeting, audit paras of the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, its attached departments, and autonomous bodies were discussed.

Audit paras relating to the Mayo Hospital, Lahore General Hospital and Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Institute of Public Health, and other institutions were examined by the committee.

These audit paras were related to non-recovery of outstanding dues from contractors, unauthorised payments of pay and allowances, irregular over-payments on account of pay and allowances, irregular appointments, losses due to short/missing stents and cardiac devices, non-deposit of receipts into PLA/treasury, losses to hospitals due to non-auction of canteens, and non-recovery of outstanding dues from contractors/defaulters.

The committee directed the concerned departments to ensure the recovery of the remaining outstanding amounts in the audit paras on a priority basis.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2026