Resolving Overlapping Land Disputes & Accessing e-Services

Sometimes, more than one person claims they own the same piece of land. Maybe a family sold the land but the old owner’s name was never removed. Or maybe there are conflicting entries in old revenue records versus what’s written in a pattadar’s Patta chitta documents. This mismatch — overlapping claims or confusion over who truly owns the land — often leads to land disputes.
These problems often come from old paper‑based systems, missing updates, or manual errors in land records.

How do authorities try to resolve such disputes

Official legal framework: record‑of‑rights and dispute laws

In the province of Punjab (Pakistan), land and revenue matters follow the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967. This act defines how land rights are recorded and how disputes get handled.

There is a procedure to determine disputes — when entries in the record‑of‑rights (or periodic records) are contested.

In practice, if a Pattadar’s claim conflicts with official revenue records, or if records are ambiguous, the matter may be referred to higher‑level revenue officials or may require a court’s decision (or sometimes both).

Digital land‑record systems bring transparency

Through the work of Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA), many land records in Punjab have been digitized — shifting from manual registers to a computerized system.
The digitization was intended to cut down conflicts, because once records (ownership, transfers, mutations) are formally logged and updated, overlapping claims become easier to spot.
Experts say that this digital + legal framework helps protect owner rights, reduce fraud or data manipulation, and makes land administration more efficient.

Newer legislation for faster resolution (as of 2025)

Recently, a new law — Punjab Protection of Ownership of Immovable Property Ordinance 2025 — was introduced to speed up resolution of land disputes. Under this law, disputes involving overlapping claims, encroachments or multiple owners can now be decided within 90 days.

The law gives certain officials (like the District Commissioner, DC) the authority to coordinate between revenue offices and civil courts — aiming to avoid long delays caused by court stays or bureaucratic back‑and‑forth.

Once implemented, such legislation reduces long-drawn land disputes, making property ownership claims more secure and transparent.

Can you see dispute history via e‑services / online records?

Yes — to a good extent.

Because the land‑records system under PLRA has been digitized, many public record details are now accessible online. This includes ownership, transfers, mutations — which means you can often detect anomalies or overlapping claims.
This shift has reduced chances of forgery, manual tampering, or hidden transfers — problems that used to fuel land disputes.
However: “dispute history” — in the sense of a full record of all past conflicts or legal cases involving a plot — may not always be fully visible online.

So while online services make transparency much better than before, digital availability of land and tax records does not guarantee a complete dispute history log.

To check for dispute history, you may need to:

Look at the mutation and transfer history of the plot on the online portal.
Check with local revenue offices / patwari / tehsildar if there were court cases or manual objections.
Consult local land paperwork (e.g. deeds, registries, previous “Intiqal” entries) if available.

Why this matters

Because overlapping disputes and fake or outdated records can ruin trust — especially when buying, selling, or inheriting land. Digital records + updated laws (like the 2025 Ordinance) aim to make ownership more secure, transparent, and fair.

FAQs

An overlapping dispute occurs when two or more people claim ownership of the same piece of land due to discrepancies in land records, including both pattadar (owner) documents and revenue records.

You can check the mutation history, ownership records, and transfer details via the Punjab Land Records Authority (PLRA) online portal. If there are discrepancies or conflicting names, it could indicate a potential dispute.

If a dispute is found, you will need to approach the local revenue office (Patwari or Tehsildar) or seek legal advice to resolve the issue. Under recent laws, such disputes are supposed to be resolved within 90 days in Punjab.

Yes, some disputes can be resolved directly with revenue officials under the new 2025 law, which allows for quicker resolution through administrative procedures. However, some cases may still require court intervention.

Ensure that all records are updated regularly, and consider registering your land with the relevant authorities to maintain an accurate and dispute-free record. Regularly check online records for any discrepancies.

Final Words

Navigating land ownership and resolving overlapping disputes between pattadars and revenue records can be a complicated process, but thanks to the digitization of records and updated laws, things have become much easier. By staying informed, checking online records, and understanding the legal framework, you can protect your land and resolve any conflicts that arise quickly.