How to Challenge a Land Acquisition Award in Pakistan: 30 Days, Then 6 Weeks

These numbers come from the Land Acquisition Act, 1894, the law that still governs compulsory purchase of land in Pakistan. We read the federal text on the Pakistan Code portal on 22 October 2026, and on 8 November 2026 we also read the Punjab text on the Punjab Code portal. The 30 day, six week, 15 per cent and 25 per cent figures are the same in both. Land is a provincial subject, so check your own province's version before you rely on a deadline.

The process runs from a section 4 notice to an award by the Collector

The Collector publishes a section 4 notification that land is needed. The Commissioner or Provincial Government then notifies the particular land under section 5, and a section 6 declaration follows. The Collector measures the land, invites claims, holds an inquiry and announces the award.

The first Gazette notice is the one that matters most. Section 11 says the land is valued at the date of the section 4 notification, not the date of the award. The federal text adds a proviso that the whole process must finish within one year, or the section 4 notification stands revoked. That proviso is not in the Punjab text we read, so do not count on it in Punjab.

Objections must reach the Collector within 30 days of the section 5 notification

Section 5A lets any person interested object in writing to the Collector within thirty days of the section 5 notification. The Collector hears the objector and sends a report to the Commissioner. The Commissioner's decision on objections is final.

A person interested is anyone entitled to claim a share of the compensation, so tenants and co-owners count, not only the registered owner. Urgent cases can skip this step. Under section 17 the Commissioner may direct that sections 5 and 5A do not apply when possession is needed fast. The authority must then deposit the estimated cost first.

Appear before the Collector once the section 9 notice is issued

Section 9 requires public notice that the government will take possession and that claims may be filed. The date set cannot be earlier than 15 days after publication. Each person interested states the nature of his interest and the amount he claims, and may object to the measurements.

Attend this hearing, in person or through an agent. The Collector's award is final and conclusive evidence of area, value and apportionment between the Collector and the persons interested, except as the Act provides. A claim you never filed is hard to add later. Keep your land record and any mutation papers ready so that your share is clear.

Six weeks from the award to ask for a court reference

Section 18 lets anyone who does not accept the award apply to the Collector in writing to refer the matter to court. The objection can be to the area, the amount, the persons to whom it is payable, or the share-out among owners. State the grounds in the application.

If you take the money without protest, you lose the right to a reference. Section 31 says a person interested may receive payment "under protest as to the sufficiency of the amount", and that anyone who received it otherwise cannot apply under section 18. Write "received under protest" on the receipt in your own hand, and keep a copy.

The court adds 15 per cent and pays interest on any increase

Section 23 tells the court to take market value on the date of the section 4 notification. It also looks at similar land sold nearby, damage to standing crops, severance from your other land, moving costs and loss of earnings. On top of the market value, the court awards 15 per cent for a public purpose, or 25 per cent for a company.

Under section 28 the court may direct the Collector to pay compound interest at eight per cent a year on any extra amount it awards, counted from the day possession was taken. Ask the court for this direction in your reference. Section 34 gives the same eight per cent if the Collector did not pay or deposit the compensation before taking possession. The Act says any waiver of this interest is void.

Appeals go to the High Court, not the district court

Section 54 says an appeal lies only to the High Court from the court's award. A further appeal can go to the Supreme Court as the Constitution allows. The Act does not give a time limit for the High Court appeal in the text we read, so the general limitation periods and local High Court rules apply.

1. Note the date of the section 4 and section 5 notifications in the Gazette.
2. File your objection to the Collector within 30 days of section 5.
3. Attend the section 9 hearing with your claim and papers.
4. Get a copy of the award the day it is announced.
5. Apply for a reference within six weeks if the rate is low.
6. Appeal to the High Court if the court award is unfair.

What the court must ignore when it values your land

Section 24 lists things the court shall not count. Knowing them saves you from arguing points that cannot win.

Build your claim on what section 23 does count: sale prices of similar land nearby around the section 4 date, standing crops and trees, severance, and the cost of moving home or business. Bring registered sale deeds of nearby land as evidence. Our guide on getting certified copies of deeds from the registration office shows how to obtain them, and a current fard of your land in Punjab proves your share.

Common questions

How much compensation do I get when the government takes my land?

The court awards market value at the date of the section 4 notification, damages for crops and other losses, plus 15 per cent for a public purpose or 25 per cent for a company.

Can the government take my land without a notice?

Not without the notifications. In urgent cases section 17 allows possession 15 days after the section 9 notice, and sections 5 and 5A can be set aside.

Can I refuse to sell?

You can object under section 5A, but the Commissioner decides objections. If the land is taken, your remedy is compensation and the court reference.

What is solatium?

It is the extra 15 per cent or 25 per cent the Act adds to the market value because the sale is compulsory.

What if the government drops the project?

Section 48 lets the government withdraw before possession, but the Collector must pay compensation for damage and costs to the owner.

Who is a person interested?

Anyone entitled to claim a share in the compensation, including those with an interest in an easement over the land.

How we verified this

What we checked and where we read it.

Last checked 8 November 2026. We read the Land Acquisition Act, 1894 on the Pakistan Code portal, including its footnotes on the 1969 West Pakistan and 2017 amendments, and the Punjab text on the Punjab Code portal. We did not read Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa or Balochistan amendments, provincial rules or any notification for a specific project, and did not check recent court rulings on rates. Deadlines and percentages can differ in your province. This page is general information, not legal advice.