WHEREAS, it is expedient to confer proprietary rights on on-proprietors in the abadi deh in conformity with the Injunctions of Islam as set out in the Holy Quran and Sunnah;

It is hereby enacted as follows:-

(1)“abadi deh” means and includes an area which is recorded as abadi deh in the record of rights prepared under the Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1967 (XVII of 1967) but does not include an urban area;
(2)“Collector” means a Collector of the district and includes an Assistant Commissioner or a Collector of a Sub-division or any officer specially empowered by the government to perform the functions of a collector under this Act;
(3)“Commissioner” means the officer In charge of the revenue and general administration of a Division and includes and Additional commissioner of such division;
(4)“Deputy commissioner” means the officer In charge of the revenue and general administration of a district and includes an officer notified as such by the government for purposes of this Act;
(5)“house” means building or structure used for residential purposes and includes a court-yard;
(6)“land” means and includes an area under a house in the abadi deh, but does not include any area reserved fro a street, a lane, a playground, a school, a mosque or other place of worship, a graveyard, a drinking well or a pond meant for the village community;
(7)“non-proprietor” means an inbabitant of a village who ordinarily resides in the abadi deh of that village and who under any law or custom or usage having the force of law in force immediately before commencement of this Act, is not co-sharer in the abadi deh in which his house is situated;
(8)“Urban area” means urban area defined in clause (iii) of sub-section (1) of section 8 of the Punjab Local Government Ordinance, 1979 (VI of 1979).