Jammu and Kashmir (Administration of property) Ordinance, 1961

This 1961 Ordinance deals with immovable properties inside Pakistan that, before Partition, belonged to the State of Jammu and Kashmir or to the Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir or Poonch. Because the political status of Kashmir became disputed after August 1947, these properties had been left without a clear owner or caretaker. Section 2 simply vests all such properties in the Federal Government, treated as having taken effect from 15 August 1947 itself.

Section 3 lets the Federal Government manage, sell or lease these properties, and lets it appoint an official called the Administrator of State Properties of Jammu and Kashmir to take possession and run them day to day. After giving at least fifteen days' notice, the Administrator can take control of a property, raise rent where needed, evict anyone who is unauthorized or three months behind on rent, and demolish unauthorized construction while recovering the demolition cost from whoever built it.

Sections 3A to 3C set up a basic appeals structure for anyone unhappy with the Administrator's decisions: they can object to the Administrator, then appeal to an authority the Federal Government names (which functions like a civil court, with power to summon witnesses and documents), and finally seek a revision from the Federal Government within thirty days.

Money raised from selling these properties goes into a dedicated account (section 4), and can be used, among other things, for rehabilitating refugees from Jammu and Kashmir. A sale certificate issued under section 5 is treated as conclusive proof of the buyer's title. Sections 5A to 5C protect the Administrator as a public servant, bar courts from interfering with these properties or the Administrator's actions, and let unpaid rent be recovered like arrears of land revenue. Section 7 says the whole account will only be finally settled once Kashmir's status is permanently resolved — meaning parts of this Ordinance are tied to an issue still unresolved today. The extract shows several rounds of amendment (1961, 1975, 1977, 1979), so anyone relying on specific procedures should check the current text.