West Pakistan Consolidation of Holdings Ordinance, 1960

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THE WEST PAKISTAN CONSOLIDATION OF HOLDINGS  
ORDINANCE, 1960 
 
 
CONTENTS 
CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
CHAPTER II 
CONSOLIDATION OF HOLDINGS 
3. Who may move for consolidation of holdings 
4. When an application for consolidation of holdings shall be deemed to be on behalf of all the 
land-owners 
5. Application by some of the owners and its effect 
6. Transfer of rights of land owners in holdings and of tenants in tenancies 
7. When application may be rejected 
8. Admission of application 
9. Preparation of scheme for consolidation of holdings and appointment of Advisory Committee 
10.  Publication of scheme, settlement of objections thereto and its confirmation 
11. Appeals 
 
12. Payment of compensation 
 

 
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13. Power to call for and examine records 
14. No appeal except as provided by this Ordinance 
15. Procedure on confirmation 
16. Rights of land-owners and tenants after consolidation same as before 
17. Transfer of incumbrance to new allotments 
18. Right of land-owners, tenants and persons affected in newly allotted holdings and tenements 
18-A.  Summary ejectment 
19. Revenue Officer to prevent encroachment upon way or path shown in new records 
CHAPTER III 
SUPPLEMENTAL 
20. Cost of consolidation proceedings 
21. Recovery of compensation or cost as arrears of land-revenue 
22. No instrument necessary to effect transfer 
23. Abeyance of partition proceedings during consolidation proceedings 
24. Transfer of property during consolidation proceedings 
25. Killabandi to be the basis 
26. Jurisdiction of Civil Court barred as regards matters arising under this Ordinance 
27. Public servants indemnified for acts done under this Ordinance 
28. The Ordinance not to affect the validity of consolidation of holdings by Co-operative Societies 
duly registered 
29. Power to make rules 
30. Repeal 
 
 
 
 
 
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THE WEST PAKISTAN CONSOLIDATION OF HOLDINGS ORDINANCE, 
1960 
 
WEST PAKISTAN ORDINANCE No. VI of 1960 
[10th March, 1960] 
AN  
ORDINANCE 
to consolidate and amend the law relating to consolidation of holdings in the Province of West 
Pakistan. 
Preamble. WHEREAS  it is exp edient to consolidate and amend the law relating to 
consolidation of holdings in the Province of West Pakistan; 
NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Presidential Proclamation of the seventh day of  
October, 1958, and having received the previous instructions of the President, the Governor of West 
Pakistan is pleased, in exercise of all powers enabling him in that behalf, to make and promulgate the 
following Ordinance: __ 
CHAPTER I 
PRELIMINARY. 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. (1) This Ordinance may be called the West Pakistan 
Consolidation of Holdings Ordinance, 1960. 
1[(2) It extends to the whole of the Province of West Pakistan, except the Tribal Area.] 
(3) It shall come into force in such area or areas and from such date or dates as Government 
may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify. 
2. Definitions . In this Ordinance, unless the context otherwise requ ires, the following 
expressions shall have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say__ 
(a) “arrears of land-revenue” means land -revenue which remains unpaid after the 
date on which it becomes payable; 
(b) “Board of Revenue” means the Board of Revenue constituted under the West 
Pakistan Board of Revenue Act, 1957 (West Pakistan XI of 1957); 
(c) “Collector” means the chief officer in charge of the revenue administration of a 
district and shall include a Deputy Commissioner and any other officer specially 
empowered by the Board of Revenue to perform the functions of a Collector; 
(d) “Commissioner” means the chief officer in charge of the revenue administration 
of a division and includes an Additional Commissioner, and any other officer 
 
1Subs. by the West Pakistan Laws (Extension to Karachi) Ordinance, 1964 (W. P. Ord. No. VII of 1964), s. 2 and Schedule.   
 
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specially empowered by the Board of Revenue to perform the functions of a 
Commissioner under this Ordinance; 
(e) “Consolidation Officer” means an officer appointed by the Board of Revenue 
or by any other officer specially empowered by the Board of Revenue in this 
behalf, to perform all or any of the functions of a Consolidation Officer under 
this Ordinance; 
(f) “consolidation of holdings” means the re-distribution of all or any of the lands 
in an estate or sub-division of an estate so as to reduce the number of plots; 
(g) “estate” means any area__ 
(i) for which a separate record-of-rights has been made; or 
(ii) which has been separately assessed to land-revenue, or would have been 
so assessed if the land -revenue had not been released, compounded for 
or redeemed; or 
(iii) which the Board of Revenue may , by general rule or special order, 
declare to be an estate; 
(h)  “Government” means the Government of West Pakistan; 
(i)  “holding” means a share or portion of an estate held by one land-owner or jointly 
by two or more land-owners; 
(j)  “land-owner” does not include a tenant, but does include a person to whom a 
holding has been transferred, or an estate or holding has been let in farm, for the 
recovery of arrears of land-revenue or of a sum recoverable as such arrears, and 
every other person not hereinbefore mentioned who is in possession of an estate 
or any share or portion thereof, or in the enjoyment of any part of the profits of 
an estate; 
(k) “land-revenue” includes any sum payable in respect of land by way of quit-rent; 
(l)  “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Ordinance; 
(m)  “Registrar” means the person appointed by Government to perform the duties 
of a Registrar of Co-operative Societies under any law relating to Co-operative  
Societies; 
 
(n) “Revenue Officer” means a Revenue Officer having authority to discharge the 
functions of a Revenue Officer under any law relating to land-revenue; and 
(o)  “sub-division” means a part of an estate recorded as a sub -division, patti, taraf 
or pana in a record-of-rights prepared under any law for the time being in force 
relating to land-revenue, provided it forms a compact block. 
 
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CHAPTER II 
CONSOLIDATION OF HOLDINGS. 
3. Who may move for consolidation of holdings . (1) The Board of Revenue or any officer 
authorised by it in this behalf may move the Consolidation Officer for the consolidation of holdings in 
an estate or a sub-division. 
(2) Any two or more land -owners in an estate or a sub -division holding together not less than 
the minimum area of land prescribed in this behal f may make an application in writing to the 
Consolidation Officer for the consolidation of their holdings. 
4. When an application for consolidation of holdings shall be deemed to be on behalf of 
all the land-owners. (1) Where an application for consolidati on of holdings is made by or on behalf 
of all the land -owners of an estate or a sub -division and the scheme of consolidation of holdings is 
confirmed, such scheme shall be binding on all the land-owners of the estate or the subdivision and on 
every person having a right or interest or who may subsequently become entitled to such right or 
interest in the area included in the scheme. 
(2) The motion or the application, as the case may be, shall be deemed to be an application on 
behalf of all the land-owners in the estate or sub-division, if__ 
(a)  the Board of Revenue or an officer authorised  by it in this behalf moves the 
Consolidation Officer for the consolidation of the holdings in an estate or a sub-
division; 
(b)  not less than fifty-one per cent. of the land-owners in an estate or a sub-division, 
holdings not less than fifty -one per cent. of the cultivated area in the estate or 
the sub-division, make an application for consolidation of their holdings; or 
(c)  on inquiry into an application made under sub -section (2) of section 3, the 
Consolidation Officer is satisfied that not less th an fifty-one per cent. of the 
land-owners in the estate or sub-division holding not less than fifty-one per cent. 
of the cultivated area in the estate or sub - division, agree in writing to the 
consolidation of their holdings. 
Explanation.__If a part or the  whole of the cultiva ted area in an estate or a sub -division is 
evacuee property as defined in the Pakistan (Administration of Evacuee Property) Act, 1957 (XI of 
1957), or in any other law relating to the administration of such property, an application for  
consolidation of holdings made by the Custodian of Evacuee Property or an officer authorised by him 
in this behalf, or the consent given by him or the said officer, and where any such property has been 
acquired by Government under section 4 of the Displaced Persons (Land Settlement) Act, 1958 (XLVII 
of 1958), an application for consolidation of holdings made by the Chief Settlement and Rehabilitation 
Commissioner, or an officer authorised by him in this behalf, or the consent given by him or the said 
officer, shall be deemed to be an application or consent on behalf of all evacuee land -owners of such 
 
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cultivated area in the estate or the sub-division, or on behalf of the 2[Federal Government], as the case 
may be. 
5. Application by some of the owners and its effect.__ Where an application for consolidation 
is not by or on behalf of all the land -owners, it shall be confined to the land owned by the applicants 
and by such other land -owners who have agreed to the consolidation of their holdings, and, if 
confirmed, it shall be binding on them and on every person having a right or interest or who may 
subsequently become entitled to such right or interest in the area included in the scheme. 
6. Transfer of rights of land  owners in holdings and of tenants in tenancies . 
Notwithstanding anything in any other law, the rights and liabilities of land -owners in their holdings 
and of tenants in their tenancies shall, for the purpose of giving effect to any scheme of consolidation 
affecting them, be transferable by exchange or  otherwise and neither the landlord nor the tenant nor 
any other person shall be entitled to object to or interfere with any transfer made for the said purpose. 
7. When application may be rejected . (1) Where there appear to be good and sufficient 
reasons for disallowing an application for consolidation of holdings, or for excluding any land from 
consolidation, the Consolidation Officer may, at any stage of the proceedings, submit the application 
to the Collector with the recommendation that the application be rejected in whole or in part, or that 
the proceedings in respect thereof be quashed. 
(2)  The Collector, on receipt of the recommendation, may pass such orders thereon as he deems 
proper, rejecting or admitting the application, either in whole or in par t, or he may direct the 
Consolidation Officer to make further recommendation after such enquiry as may be directed. 
8. Admission of application . If the Consolidation Officer makes no recommendation to the 
Collector under sub -section (1) of section 7 , or if  the Collector allows the application on such 
recommendation to be entertained in whole or in part, the Consolidation Officer shall admit the 
application in whole or in part, as the case may be, and shall proceed to deal with it in such manner as 
may be prescribed. 
9. Preparation of scheme for consolidation of holdings and appointment of Advisory 
Committee. (1) Where the land -owners making the application under sub -section (2) of section 3 
submit an agreed scheme for consolidation of holdings, the Consolida tion Officer shall proceed with 
the application in such manner as may be prescribed. 
(2) If no agreed scheme is submitted with the application for consolidation, the Consolidation 
Officer shall prepare a scheme for consolidation of holdings in such manner as may be prescribed. 
(3) Subject to any rules made under section 29, the Consolidation Officer may appoint an 
Advisory Committee or Panchayat to assist him in the preparation of a scheme for the consolidation 
of holdings. 
 
2Subs. by the Federal Adaptation of Laws Order, 1975 (P. O. NO. 4 of 1975), Art. 2 and Table.  
 
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10. Publication of scheme, settlement of objections thereto and its confirmation . (1) The 
Consolidation Officer shall, before approving any scheme, publish it in such manner as may be 
prescribed. 
(2) Where objections are lodged by any person interested in the area covered by the sch eme, 
the Consolidation Officer shall endeavour to bring about an amicable settlement. 
(3) If no objections are lodged, or where lodged the Consolidation Officer succeeds in bringing 
about an amicable settlement, he shall pass an order confirming the scheme of consolidation. 
(4) If the Consolidation Officer fails to bring about an amicable settlement, he shall submit the 
scheme with his recommendations to the Collector, who after giving notice to the persons concerned 
and hearing them if they so desire, may, after further enquiry by himself or any Consolidation Officer, 
or without such enquiry, as he may deem fit, reject the scheme or confirm it with or without 
modifications. 
11. Appeals. (1) Any person aggrieved by an order of the Consolidation Officer confirming the 
scheme may, within sixty days from the date of the order, prefer an appeal to the Collector. 
(2) A second appeal from the order of the Collector passed on an appeal under sub -section (1) 
shall lie to the Commissioner within sixty days from the date of the order; provided that when the order 
of the Consolidation Officer is confirmed on appeal by the Collector, no second appeal shall lie. 
(3) Any person aggrieved by an order of the Collector made under sub - section (4) of section 
10 confirming, rejecting or modifying a scheme of consolidation submitted to him by the Consolidation 
Officer may, within sixty days from the date of the order, prefer an appeal to the Commissioner. 
3[(3-A) The Collector or the Commissioner, in appeal may, after giving the aggrieved person 
or persons an opportunity of being heard confirm, set aside or vary the order appealed from.] 
4[(4) In questions of the admission of, and the computation of the period for, an appeal from the 
order under this Ordinance, the limitation therefor shall be governed by the Limitation Act, 1908.] 
12. Payment of compensation.__ When the Consolidation Officer or the Collector, as the case 
may be, is of the opinion that the re-distribution of land in accordance with the scheme of consolidation 
confirmed by him will have the result of allotting to any land-owner any piece of land which is not of 
the same value as his original piece of land and that it is equitable that compensation should be granted, 
he may provide for payment of compensation by and to the persons as may be affected by the scheme. 
13. Power to call for and examine records. 5[(1) The Board of Revenue may__  
 
(a) at any time of its own motion call for the record of any proceedings under  this 
Ordinance pending before, or d isposal of, by any Revenue or Consolidation 
Officer; or 
 
3Ins. by the West Pakistan Laws (Amendment) Ordinance, 1960 (W. P. No. XXXIV of 1960), s. 3 and second schedule.  
4Added by West Pakistan Act No. XVI of 1964, s. 2. 
5Subs. by West Pakistan Ordinance No. XVII of 1965, s. 2.  
 
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(b) on application made to it in that behalf by a person aggrieved within ninety days 
of the passing of an order in any proceedings under this Ordinance by any 
Revenue or Consolidation Officer, and after giving such person an opportunity 
of being heard, call for the record of such proceedings.] 
(2) A Commissioner or Collector may call for the record of any case under this Ordinance 
pending before, or disposed of by, any Revenue Officer or Consolidation Officer under his control. 
(3) If in any case in which a Collector has called for the record under sub - section (2), he is of 
opinion that the proceedings taken or order made should be modified or reversed, he shall report the 
case with his opinion thereon for the orders of the Commissioner. 
(4) The Board of Revenue may in any case called for under sub-section (1) and a Commissioner 
may in any case called for by him under sub-section (2) or reported to him under sub-section (3), pass 
such order as it or he thinks fit: 
Provided that no order shall be passed under this section reversing or modifying any 
proceedings or order of a subordinate Revenue Officer and affecting any question of right between 
private persons without giving those persons an opportunity of being heard. 
14. No appeal except as provided by this Ordinance. Save as provided in this Ordinance no 
appeal or revision shall lie from any order passed under this Ordinance or the rules made thereunder. 
15. Procedure on confirmation. When the confirmation of a scheme of consolidation becomes 
final, the Consolidation Officer shall__ 
(a)  announce the decision which has become final, if this has not been already done; 
(b)  demarcate the boundaries of the holdings, if necessary; and 
(c)  cause to be prepared a new record-of-rights in accordance with the scheme. 
Explanation.__ Such record-of-rights shall have the same force as the record-of- rights which it 
purports to replace. 
16. Rights of land-owners and tenants after consolidation same as before. A land-owner or 
a tenant shall have the same rights in the holding or land allotted to him in pursuance of a scheme of 
consolidation as he had in his original holding or tenancy, as the case may be. 
17. Transfer of incumbrance to new allotments. Subject to any rules that may be made under 
section 29, when the holding of a land -owner or the tenancy of a tenant brought under the scheme of 
consolidation is burdened with any lease, mortgage orother incumbrance, such lease, mortgage or other 
incumbrance shall be transferred and attached to the holding or tenancy allotted under the scheme or 
to such part of it as the Consolidation Officer may direct; and, thereupon, the lessee, mortgagee or 
other incumbrancer, as the case may be, shall cease to have any rig ht in or over the land from which 
the lease, mortgage or other incumbrance has been transferred. 
 
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18. Right of land -owners, tenants and persons affected in newly allotted holdings and 
tenements. The land-owners, tenants and other persons affected by the sch eme of consolidation shall 
be entitled to possession of the holdings and tenements allotted to them under the scheme and the 
Consolidation Officer shall, by an order, direct that they be put in possession thereof from such date 
after the final confirmation  of the scheme, as he may deem expedient, and for this purpose he shall 
have all the powers of the Collector. 
6[18-A. Summary ejectment . Any person occupying, or in possession of, any holding or 
tenement included in the Consolidation Scheme__ 
(a) the right of occupation of which has been allotted to any land  owner, tenant or 
other person under the Consolidation Scheme; or 
(b) possession of which has not been authorised by the Consolidation Officer under 
the Consolidation Scheme; 
may, after being given a re asonable opportunity of showing cause against such action, be summarily 
ejected by the Consolidation Officer, with the use of such force as may be necessary: 
Provided that no person shall be so ejected earlier than the date mentioned in the order made 
under section 18.] 
19. Revenue Officer to prevent encroachment upon way or path shown in new records.  A 
Revenue Officer may, either of his own motion or on an application in this behalf, eject any person 
making any encroachment upon any way or path shown in the record-of-rights prepared under section 
15, and by an order published in such manner as may be prescribed, forbid repetition of the 
encroachment: 
Provided that the proceedings of the Revenue Officer shall be subject to any decree or order 
which may be passed by any Court of competent jurisdiction. 
CHAPTER III 
SUPPLEMENTAL. 
20. Cost of consolidation proceedings . The cost of consolidation proceedings shall be 
recovered, in such manner as may be prescribed, from the persons whose holdings are affected by the 
scheme of consolidation: 
Provided that Government may remit the costs of a single scheme of consolidation or of all 
schemes of consolidation in a particular area either in whole or in part or for a term of years. 
21. Recovery of compensation or cost as arrears of land-revenue.__ Any amount payable as 
compensation under section 12 or as costs under section 20 may be recovered as an arrear of land -
revenue. 
 
6Added by West Pakistan Ordinance No. XVII of 1965, s. 3. 
 
 
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22. No instrument necessary to effect transfer. Notwithstanding anything in any law: __ 
 
(a) an instrument in writing shall not be necessary in order to give effect to a transfer 
involved in carrying out any scheme of consolidation of holdings; and 
 
(b)  if any instrument is executed, it shall not require registration. 
23. Abeyance of partition proceedings during consolidation proceedings . When an 
application for the consolidation of holdings has been made and it has been duly admitted, partition 
proceedings in respect of the estate or sub -division which will be affected by the scheme shall not be 
commenced, and all pending proceedings shall remain in abeyance till the conclusion of the 
consolidation proceedings. 
24. Transfer of property during consolidation proceedings . When an application for the 
consolidation of holdings has been made, no land -owner or tenant having a right of occupancy upon 
whom the scheme will be binding shall have power, without the sanction of the Consolidation Officer, 
during the pendency of the consolidation proceedings, to transfer or otherwise deal with any part of 
his holding or tenancy so as to affect the rights of any other land -owner or tenant having a right of 
occupancy therein under the scheme of consolidation. 
25. Killabandi to be the basis . Consolidation of holdings shall be carried out on the basis of 
killabandi where the physical features of the tract under operation permit such a course. 
26. Jurisdiction of Civil Court barred as regard matter arising under this Ordinance. No 
Civil Court shall entertain any suit or application to obtain a decision or order in respect of any matter 
which Government or the Board of Revenue or any officer is, by this Ordinance, empowered to 
determine, decide or dispose of. 
27. Public servants indemnified for acts done under this Ordinance. No suit or other legal 
proceedings shall be maintained in respect of the exercise of any powers or discretion conferred by 
this Ordinance or against any public servant or person duly appointed or authorised under this 
Ordinance in respect of anything in good faith done or purported to be done under the provisions 
thereof or the rules made thereunder. 
 
28. The Ordinance not to affect the validity of consolidation of holdings by Co -operative 
Societies duly registered. In relation to any Co-operative Society duly registered under any law for 
the time being in force relating to Co -operative Societies, having as its object the consolidation of 
holdings, nothing in this Ordinance shall affect the validity or enforceability of__ 
(a) the acts or proceedings of any society as aforesaid or of its managing committee 
or servants; 
(b) any decision of any society as aforesaid approving by a two -thirds majority of 
its whole membership, a scheme for the re-arrangement of the holdings of all or 
any members of such society; or 
(c) the acts, proceedings and awards done, taken or made by the Registrar acting as 
arbitrator, or by a person appointed by the Registrar in accordance with the bye-
 
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laws of such society and the rules applicable to it, to act as arbitrator, in respect 
of any dispute arising out of or relating to any scheme of rearrangement as 
aforesaid, and all such acts, proceedings, decisions and awards shall have such 
effect in relation to the holdings which have been re -arranged thereby, as is 
provided by the aforesaid bye-laws and rules. 
29. Power to make rules. (1) The Board of Revenue may after previous publication make rules 
for the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Ordinance. 
(2) In particular and without prejudice to the gener ality of the foregoing power, the Board of 
Revenue may, in the manner prescribed by the last preceding sub-section, make rules__ 
(a)  prescribing the minimum area of land to be held by the persons making an 
application under sub-section (2) of section 3; 
(b)  providing for the particulars to be contained in any application made under sub-
section (2) of section 3; 
(c)  providing for the procedure to be followed by the Consolidation Officer and for 
the appointment and constitution of an Advisory C ommittee or Panchayat to 
assist the Consolidation Officer in the examination or the preparation of the 
scheme; 
(d)  providing for the manner in which the costs of the consolidation proceedings 
shall be assessed; 
(e)  providing for the appointment of guardians ad litem for minors; 
(f) for determining the value of lands and the compensation to be paid therefor; 
(g)  for the guidance of Consolidation Officers in respect of the transfer of 
incumbrances and leases; 
(i) generally for the guidance of the Consolidation Officers and other officers and 
persons in all proceedings under this Ordinance; and 
(j) for appointment of an officer or officers to supervise the consolidation 
operations and to supervise and control the consolidation staff. 
31. Repeal. The Punjab Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1936  (pb IV of 1936), and the North-
West Frontier Province Consolidation of Holdings Act, 1946  (N.W.F.P. IX of 1946) , are hereby 
repealed. 
 
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RGN Date: 18-06-2025