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Event Title: Senator Nasir Mahmood, Convener Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) presiding over a meeting of the committee at Parliament Lodges Islamabad
Event Date: 2026-10-06
Senate Sub-Committee Reviews Rent Collection, Encroachments on Jammu & Kashmir State Land
The meeting of the Sub-Committee of the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions met at the Parliament House, Islamabad, under the Chairpersonship of Senator Nasir Mehmood to review the system of rent collection from properties on Jammu & Kashmir State land and examined the issue of encroachments on State land, with particular focus on transparency, accountability, revenue collection and enforcement mechanisms.
The meeting was attended by Senators Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto and Naseema Ehsan, Secretary, Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions, and senior officials from relevant departments.
The Committee expressed concern over the continued practice of cash-based rent collection and sought details of the total rent collected, its deposit in banks/Government accounts, outstanding dues and the record of tenants. Officials informed the Committee that the process of rent collection was being digitized and that efforts were underway to address the issues faced in transitioning a large number of tenants to the digital system.
The Committee was informed that the Department manages around 3,160 tenancies. Original receipts are issued to tenants, while duplicate and voided copies are retained for audit purposes. Officials stated that manual collections are entered in the Cash Book and deposited through prescribed Treasury challans, while digital payments are credited directly to authorized accounts. Manual receipts, collection statements, Cash Book entries and deposit records are also cross-verified, whereas the PayZen system provides automated digital reconciliation.
The Chairman Committee directed the officials to provide a five-year record of rent collection and its utilization, along with details of tenants, rent collected, dates of deposit, outstanding dues and relevant receipts. The Committee also emphasized that the rent collection system should be transparent, properly documented and subject to effective checks and balances.
Senator Naseema Ehsan asked from the officials regarding reported cases of theft, irregularities and misuse of State property. Officials informed the Committee that cases of irregularities had been reported in the past and that a case was also pending before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). The Committee sought details of such cases and recoveries, if any.
Regarding encroachments, officials informed the Committee that Jammu & Kashmir State land has been demarcated against revenue records and geo-referenced through PITB-assisted systems. The relevant digital maps, including Aks Shajra, were made available to the Sub-Committee.
The Committee was informed that the total Jammu & Kashmir State property comprises 34,616 kanals, equivalent to approximately 4,327 acres and one kanal. Encroachments covering approximately 318 acres, 8 kanals and 9 marlas have been identified in Sultanpura and Rehmanpura, Lahore, constituting around 7.37 percent of the total property in the identified area. Of this, Sultanpura accounts for 153 acres, 2 kanals and 13 marlas, while Rehmanpura accounts for 165 acres, 3 kanals and 16 marlas.
Officials further informed the Committee that the indicative rental value of the identified encroached land, based on fresh tenancy agreements, ranges approximately from Rs. 1.43 million to Rs. 2.86 million for residential areas and Rs. 3.3 million to Rs. 4.95 million for commercial areas.
The Committee also examined the issue of encroachments on Jammu & Kashmir State land, particularly in Lahore and Rawalpindi. Officials briefed the Committee on illegal constructions, disputed tenancy matters, unauthorized use of State land and cases involving utility connections. The Committee expressed concern over the alleged issuance of unauthorized or questionable NOCs for electricity connections and directed that the matter be properly investigated.
The Chairman directed the officials to provide complete details of State land, including demarcation, tenancy, rent collection and encroachments, and said that the Committee would undertake further field visits to verify the position on ground. He also directed that the relevant records and receipts be produced before the Committee for verification.
The Committee took serious note of the construction and operation of marriage halls and other commercial activities on State land. The Chairman directed the concerned officials to seal the unauthorized marriage hall, submit photographic evidence to the Committee and initiate an FIR in case the seal was violated.
The Committee also discussed cases where State land was being used for residential and commercial purposes without payment of appropriate rent. Officials informed the Committee that action had been initiated in several cases and that tenancy agreements had also been cancelled where required.
Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto stressed the need for greater coordination between the concerned authorities and called for the presence of senior officials, including the Secretary of the Government of Punjab, Commissioner Lahore and the concerned Federal Board of Revenue authorities, at the next meeting to clarify issues relating to State land and encroachments.
The Chairman Committee also directed the officials to prepare a separate file containing all correspondence and letters issued regarding encroachments and related matters in Lahore and present it at the next meeting.
The Chairman directed the officials to strengthen enforcement against encroachments and ensure that State land was protected from unauthorized occupation. He further directed that NAB officials be invited to the next meeting to brief the Committee on the relevant cases and issues concerning encroachments and irregularities, so that the matter could be examined in detail and appropriate action taken.
The Committee also discussed the matter of a Patwari involved in the case. Officials informed that he had been reinstated through the court and was currently on leave. The Chairman directed that the Patwari be brought before the Committee at the next meeting for clarification. Senator Nadeem Ahmed Bhutto also sought details regarding the matter.
The Committee emphasized that the longstanding issues concerning Jammu & Kashmir State land must be resolved through transparent rent collection, digitization, proper record-keeping, physical verification, and effective enforcement