Supreme Court Bar, Pakistan Bar Council Welcome Suspension of Punjab Protection of Property Ordinance

Islamabad:The Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) and the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) have welcomed the interim order of the Lahore High Court suspending the enforcement of the Punjab Protection of Property Ordinance.

In a joint statement, the SCBA and PBC said that the Lahore High Court’s decision to suspend the implementation of the Punjab Protection of Property law was a positive and commendable step. The bar bodies rejected the Punjab government’s justification in support of the ordinance.

The statement said that granting authority over property disputes to committees headed by deputy commissioners under the new ordinance was against the Constitution and the law. It added that the ordinance undermines judicial supremacy, citizens’ rights, and the civil justice system.

According to the statement, allowing revenue officers to take possession of properties in sub judice matters amounts to an attack on judicial authority. The bar bodies expressed concern that certain elements were attempting to concentrate all powers, including judicial powers, in their own hands.

The SCBA and PBC termed it unacceptable to grant patwaris and assistant commissioners powers beyond their legal jurisdiction. They emphasized that, under the Constitution, the interpretation of laws rests solely with the judiciary, and the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court has full constitutional authority to issue interim orders.

The statement further said that suspending a law that weakens judicial authority was the correct decision. The lawyers’ community stands firmly with the Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court and the judicial institution, and the Punjab government’s stance in favor of the ordinance has been rejected.