Overseas property protection law passed
In a major legislative push, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government has formally enacted a law to safeguard overseas Pakistanis' properties, establish special courts for dispute resolution, and curb illegal occupations, even as the provincial assembly witnessed fiery confrontations over a lawmaker's controversial remarks and unanimously condemned the killing of a Maulana Idrees.
The new legislation, titled the Overseas Pakistanis Property Act 2026, was introduced by Provincial Law Minister Aftab Alam. Under the law, special courts will be established across the province in consultation with the Peshawar High Court. All pending cases related to expatriate-owned properties will be transferred to these courts for immediate hearing, with judges holding the rank of Additional District and Sessions Judge.
Overseas Pakistanis can file applications online, record testimony via video link, and expect a verdict within 120 days. Appeals must be filed within 15 days. The law also blocks illegal property transfers, assists in rent recovery, and allows court notices via mobile phones, email, and mosques. The government said the move would restore expatriates' confidence and provide effective legal protection to their assets.
Separately, the Ehsaas Handcart Protection Bill 2026 was presented to regulate registration for the province's 140,000 handcart vendors, prohibiting any action without notice. Harassment, bribery, and unlawful proceedings against registered vendors will be treated as serious offenses. The bill has been referred to a standing committee for review within 15 days.
In a unanimously adopted resolution, the assembly condemned the killing of JUI-F's provincial patron-in-chief and former lawmaker Maulana Muhammad Idrees. The resolution, moved by Adnan Khan Wazir, demanded the immediate arrest and exemplary punishment of the killers. Earlier, JUI-F members entered the house carrying Idrees' portraits and suspended the regular agenda to debate law and order, with lawmakers calling his killing a great tragedy for the province.
However, the session descended into chaos when PML-N MPA Sobia Shahid accused the government of functioning on "RAW's agenda." "Tell me, are you sitting in this house for RAW's agenda?" she said, adding, "Support your own army." The remarks turned the assembly into a fish market, with treasury and opposition members shouting slogans and hurling verbal abuse at each other. Deputy Speaker Suriya Bibi ordered Shahid's microphone muted and later expunged her remarks from the record.
The dramatic session, spanning new property protections for overseas Pakistanis, rights for street vendors, condemnation of a cleric's killing, and sharp political clashes, underscored both legislative ambition and persistent political volatility in the province.