No Sale, Lease or Mortgage Without Approval: Pakistan’s Punjab Proposes a Law to Protect Church Property

• A Christian lawmaker introduced a bill to protect minority communal property in Punjab
• Churches and property bought with community or foreign funds would be covered
• No such property could be sold, leased or mortgaged without government approval
• Penalties would include up to seven years’ imprisonment

A Christian member of Punjab’s Provincial Assembly in Pakistan has introduced a bill to protect church and other minority property, Christian Daily International reported on February 26, 2026, in a report by A. S. John.

Falbous Christopher, who chairs the assembly’s Standing Committee on Human Rights and Minorities Affairs, introduced the Punjab Protection of Communal Properties of Minorities Act 2026. It covers churches, gurdwaras and temples, as well as property acquired through government grants, public funds, charitable contributions, community funds and foreign donations for minority welfare. “The legislation will significantly expand what constitutes protected minority properties,” he said.

Under the bill, no communal property could be sold, transferred, leased or mortgaged without government approval, and unauthorised transactions would be void. Penalties would include up to seven years in prison and a fine of 100,000 rupees ($360). A Provincial Action Committee would oversee the law. The report said property disputes have involved encroachment, forged documents and alleged collusion between church administrators and developers. Advocates warned that the committee would lack direct enforcement powers.

The bill aims to stop church property being sold off without accountability.

Jamaican churches are not subject to state approval for sales, but the concern behind the Punjab bill applies everywhere: property bought with members’ giving should not be sold or mortgaged without proper authority. Churches should set clear internal rules requiring approval by trustees and members for any sale, lease or mortgage, and record every decision.

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