Punjab Province

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Lahore High Court, in a significant ruling concerning evacuee trust properties, has declared that trust or evacuee land cannot be reallotted to any individual, institution or organisation. The court further ruled that such land may only be used for public welfare and official purposes.
Mr. Justice Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal dismissed a petition seeking the transfer of evacuee trust land during the preliminary hearing and issued a nine page written judgment.
The court observed that the laws governing evacuee properties were repealed in 1975 and, as a result, no legal authority now exists to make fresh allotments or grant alternative land to any person.
According to the judgment, all evacuee property has become the property of the government. Once such land came under state ownership, neither the Chief Settlement Commissioner nor any board retained the authority to make decisions regarding its allotment.
The court further clarified that the government may use evacuee land only for projects serving the public interest. Any allotment of such property in favour of a private individual or institution would have no legal validity.
The judgment also stated that any allotment of evacue land made in violation of the law would be considered void from the outset. It added that failure to record an old allotment order in official records within the prescribed period deprives it of legal effect.
The petitioner had argued that his grandfather purchased three kanals of land through an open auction in Mailsi in 1960. However, due to his illiteracy and lack of knowledge of legal procedures, the transfer of the land was never entered into the official record.
The petitioner had requested the court to direct the Multan commissioner to register the transfer of the land in the government record.
The Lahore High Court, however, accepted the arguments presented by the government counsel and ruled that there was no legal basis for registering a land transfer on the strength of repealed laws and decades-old allotment orders.
The petition was therefore declared inadmissible and dismissed at the initial stage.

Lahore | ReNews Pakistan
The Punjab Land Records Authority has introduced revised service and challan fees for property sale and purchase transactions, land registration and other land record services for the fiscal year 2026 27.
According to the new fee schedule, the charge for filing a case in a revenue court has been fixed at Rs 3,500 per case, while the minimum service fee for electronic land registration has been set at Rs 3,600. The revised rates have come into effect immediately.
The notification states that copies of land records, including fard, mutation and girdawari documents, will cost Rs 4,000 through the express service, while an ordinary copy will be available for Rs 900.
The fee for a Green Property Certificate has been fixed at Rs 800, a specified copy of the land record will cost Rs 5,000 and a certified copy of a registered deed will be issued for Rs 1,400.
Banks and other institutions seeking verification of land records will be charged Rs 1,000 for each successful transaction and Rs 700 for every unsuccessful transaction.
The fee for mutation through the express service has been set at Rs 11,200, while mutation processed through banks will cost Rs 2,100. The fee for an ordinary mutation has been fixed at Rs 1,200.
PLRA has also set a fee of Rs 6,700 for the appointment of a local commission through the e registration system.
Under the Property Transfer System, a service charge of Rs 3,000 per transaction has been imposed on property transfers conducted through housing societies and development authorities.
Transactions processed through the e registration portal will be subject to a service fee equivalent to 0.1 percent of the land value, with a minimum charge of Rs 3,600.
The notification clarified that government taxes and charges will continue to be collected at rates notified by the Punjab Board of Revenue from time to time.

Rawalpindi: [ReNews Pakistan]
The Rawalpindi Ring Road project has reached 98% completion, with only the installation of the toll plaza remaining before the strategic transport corridor becomes operational. The Punjab government has also approved a dedicated policing and management system to oversee traffic enforcement, security and day to day operations once the road opens to the public.
The progress was reviewed during a high-level meeting chaired by Rawalpindi Commissioner Salman Ghani, where officials presented updates on construction, traffic management arrangements and landscaping plans for the 38.3 kilometre project.
Officials informed the meeting that all major civil works have been completed, including the main carriageway, flyovers, subways, interchanges, nullah bridges, river bridges and railway bridges. Road barriers, lane markings, traffic signboards and street lighting have also been installed, leaving the toll plaza as the final component before completion.
Under the approved operational framework, the Punjab Ring Road Authority will manage the toll plaza, collect tolls in accordance with rates notified by the Punjab government and oversee traffic management along the corridor. A dedicated policing and management system will also be established to ensure effective law enforcement, road safety, security and administrative control.
The Punjab government has so far released more than Rs 29 billion for the project, while the remaining funds are expected to be disbursed in the coming weeks to complete the outstanding works.
During the meeting, Commissioner Ghani directed the relevant departments to accelerate the remaining activities, including landscaping, tree plantation and grassing along both sides of the road, so that the project can be completed and opened to traffic without delay.
Once operational, the Rawalpindi Ring Road is expected to significantly ease congestion by diverting heavy traffic away from the city's urban areas. The project is also expected to improve traffic flow on major routes, including GT Road, Peshawar Road and Murree Road, while reducing travel time, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions. Authorities believe the new corridor will provide safer, faster and more efficient transport, while strengthening regional connectivity and supporting long-term urban and economic development in the Rawalpindi region.