The National Accountability Bureau (NAB), in collaboration with the Punjab Board of Revenue (BoR), has successfully reclaimed 25,444 kanals of state land valued at approximately Rs433 billion from illegal occupants and land mafia networks. This achievement is part of one of the largest anti-encroachment drives in Punjab's history.
Press Briefing Highlights
Addressing a press briefing regarding the Punjab State Assets Task Force, Lahore NAB Director General Mirza Faran Baig stated that the operation was launched in September 2025 under the leadership of Chairman NAB Lt Gen (retd) Nazir Ahmad Butt, DG NAB Faran Baig, and Punjab Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Nabeel Javed.
Recovery Campaign Details
The recovery campaign involved joint efforts including scrutiny of revenue records, demarcation, field enforcement, and coordination between NAB and the BoR across several districts of Punjab. Faran Baig emphasized that the successful recovery of state land represents a major milestone in safeguarding public assets and strengthening the state's writ over government properties.
In recognition of this achievement, the Prime Minister awarded commendation certificates and shields to the DG NAB Lahore and the SMBR Punjab.
Punjab State Assets Task Force
The Punjab government established the Punjab State Assets Task Force to ensure the recovery, protection, and transparent utilisation of state land. The task force works in coordination with the BoR to eliminate illegal encroachments and ensure lawful disposal of reclaimed land. Lahore NAB Director Muhammad Wasif Bhatti serves as NAB's representative and focal person in the task force to facilitate coordination among relevant institutions.
NAB and BoR also appealed to the public to report illegal occupation of government land through official complaint mechanisms to enable prompt action by authorities.
Reforms and Achievements
Highlighting reforms introduced by the BoR under SMBR Nabeel Javed, Faran Baig said the department ensured 100% collection of agricultural income tax amounting to Rs9.97 billion and generated Rs5.9 billion through lease and sale of government land and properties between July 2025 and April 2026.
Digitisation Efforts
More than 23.5 million registered documents dating from 1947 to 2024 and over 300 million pages have been digitised under the Punjab Urban Land Systems Enhancement (PLUS) Project. Additionally, over 2.5 million mutations have been processed through digital systems.
The DG said GIS-based Green Property Certificates, digital valuation tables, and an e-stamp platform have been introduced to improve transparency and reduce discretionary powers in land administration. A fully digital Property Transfer System has been implemented in more than 500 housing societies to ensure transparent audit trails, while mass partitioning resulted in the creation of over 671,000 new land units to help resolve ownership and inheritance disputes.
NAB Institutional Reforms
Speaking about institutional reforms in NAB, Mirza Faran said the bureau strengthened engagement with chambers of commerce and industry to facilitate business activity and policy development. NAB achieved record recoveries amounting to Rs15.6 trillion during 2023-2026 and facilitated the return of nearly Rs180 billion to victims in cases involving more than 115,000 affected individuals during 2025 alone.
According to the DG, NAB recovered Rs263.096 billion and distributed funds among 61,700 claimants. It is currently pursuing several large-scale public fraud cases involving more than 81,000 victims and estimated losses of Rs124 billion.
Accountability facilitation, business facilitation, and parliamentarians' facilitation cells have been established to improve public service delivery and minimise the possibility of harassment. The DG further said NAB introduced digital case management systems, e-case processing, and artificial intelligence-based investigative tools to enhance efficiency, transparency, and technology-driven accountability. Measures are also being taken to prevent the misuse of crypto assets for corruption and money laundering.
