President Asif Ali Zardari has formally signed into law the Special Court (Overseas Pakistani Property) Bill, 2024, and the Deposit Protection Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2024, under Article 75 of the Constitution.
The Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis and Human Resource Development noted that the new legislation aims to expedite and streamline property dispute resolutions for overseas Pakistanis.
The law empowers the federal government to establish special courts exclusively for overseas Pakistanis, in consultation with the Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court. These courts will address cases related to immovable property owned by overseas citizens, with judges granted powers equivalent to district court judges.
Notably, the law permits electronic filing of applications, and if a party is absent twice, proceedings will continue in their absence. The special courts restrict overseas Pakistani parties to two opportunities for presenting evidence and allow participation through video link.
Under the new rules, applications must be resolved within 90 days, and affected parties have a 15-day window to appeal to the High Court, which is also required to issue a ruling within 90 days. The law mandates that property cannot be transferred until a decision is reached, ensuring it is ultimately awarded to the rightful party.
