Transfer of Evacuee Land (Katchi Abadi) Act, 1972

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THE TRANSFER OF EVACUEE LAND (KATCHI ABADI) ACT, 
1972 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
1.  Short title, extent and commencement.  
2.  Definitions.  
3.  Act to override other laws, etc. 
4.  Cancellation of allotments and transfers of evacuee land.  
5.  Conferment of proprietary rights on occupants of evacuee land.  
6.  Resumption of land.  
7.  Preparation of scheme.  
8.  Penalty.  
9.  Prosecution.  
10.  Bar of jurisdiction.  
11.  Validation.  
12.  Delegation of power.  
13. Power to make rules.  
14.  Repeal  
 
 
 
 

 
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THE TRANSFER OF EVACUEE LAND (KATCHI ABADI) ACT, 1972 
 
1Act No. XIII of 1972 
[17th September, 1972] 
An Act to provide for transfer of certain evacuee land to the occupants thereof 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the transfer of certain evacuee land to the occupants 
thereof; 
 AND WHEREAS the Proclamation of Emergency referred to in clause (8) of Article 139 of 
the Interim Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is in force;  
 It is hereby enacted as follows:— 
 1. Short  title,  extent  and  commencement.—(1)  This  Act  may  be  called  the Transfer 
of Evacuee Land (Katchi Abadi) Act, 1972.  
 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan. 
 (3) It shall come into force in the Province of the Punjab and the Capital of the Federation at 
once and in the other Provinces or parts thereof on such date2 as the Federal Government may, by 
notification in the official Gazette, appoint in this behalf; and different dates may be appointed in 
respect of different Provinces or parts thereof. 
 2. Definitions.—(1) In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or 
context,— 
(a) “Acts” means the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 
1958 (XXVIII of 1958) , and the Displ aced Persons (Land Settlement) Act, 
1958 (XLVII of 1958);  
(b)       “appointed day” means the fifteenth day of March, 1972; 
(c)       “Chief Settlement Commissioner” means the Chief Settlement Commissioner 
appointed by the Government under either or both the Acts; 
(d)      “evacuee land” means any land, plot or vacant site abandoned by an evacuee 
as defined in the Pakistan (Administration of Evacuee Property) Act, 1957 
(XII of 1957); 3[including any land, plot or vacant site allotted, transferred or 
otherwise dispos ed of by the  Chief Settlement Commissioner or any oth er 
authority under either of the Acts or any other law for the time being in force]; 
 
(e)        “Government” means a Provincial Government; and 
 
(f) “Katchi Abadi” means such inhabited area of evacuee land as is declared by 
the Chief Settlement Commissioner to be a Katchi Abadi for the pu rposes of 
this Act. 
1 For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Gaz. of P., 1972. Ext.. Pt. Ill,p. 413. 
2 The Act came into force in the Province of Sind on 20-1-1973, see Notifin., No. F. 13(13)/72, SLI, dated, 20-1-1973, Gaz. of P., 1973, Ext., Pt. Ill, 
p. 255 and in the Province of Balochistan and N.W.F.P., on 1-6-1973 see Notifin. No. F. 13(I3)/72-SLE, dated 31-5-1973, Gaz. of P., 1973, Ext., Pt. Ill, 
p. 1149' 
3Added by the Transfer of Evacuee Land (Katchi Abadi) (Amdt.), Act, 1977 (3 of 1977), s. 2 (w.e.f. 18-9-1972). 
 
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 (2) A declaration under clause (f), of sub-section (1) shall be published in the official Gazette 
within thirty days from the date on which it is made. 
 (3) Words and expressions used but not defined in this Act and defined in the Acts shall have 
the same meanings as assigned to them in the Acts. 
 3. Act to override other laws,  etc.  This Act shall have effect notwithstanding anything to 
the contrary contained in any oth er law or any decree, judgement or order of any court or other 
authority, or any agreement, contract or instrument.  
 4. Cancellation of allotments and transfers of evacuee la nd.—(1) All  allotments and  
transfers  of  evacuee  land  in  any  Katchi  Abadi  shall  stand  cancelled  as  from  the appointed 
day, and the allottees or transferees of such land shall be paid such compensation therefore as may be 
determined by Government. 
 (2) Nothing in sub-section (1) shall apply to such evacuee land as was occupied by its  
allottee or transferee on the appointed day and does not exceed his verified claim. 
 5. Conferment of proprietary rights on occupants of evacuee la nd.—(1) A ny p erson, 
other than a p erson referred to in subsection (2) of s ection 4, who, on the appointed d ay, was in 
occupation of evacuee land in any Katchi Abadi and did not own any other plot, house or shop shall 
be granted proprietary rights in respect of such land not exceeding five marlas, on payment of such 
price as may be determined by the Chief Settlement Commissioner on the basis of the market price 
prevailing in the year 1947. 
 Explanation.—For the purpose of this sub-section, “shop” does not include a shop situated 
outside a Katchi Abadi to which no residential accommodation is attached. 
 (2) The price payable by any persons under sub-section (1) shall, at his option, be paid in 
a lump sum or in six half-yearly installments and shall form part of the compensation pool. 
 Explanation.— “Compensation pool” means— 
(a)      if  the  evacuee  land  the  price  of  whi ch  is  paid  under  subsection  (1)  is 
agricultural land, the compensation pool constituted under the  Displaced 
Persons (Land Settlement) Act, 1958 (XLVII of 1958); and 
(b)      if su ch land is not  agricultural land, the compensation pool constituted under 
the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1958 (X XVIII 
of 1958). 
 6. Resumption of land.—(1) Any evacuee land in a Katchi Abadi which is not transferred 
under section 5 shall be resumed by the Chief Settlement Commissioner to whom the occupant 
thereof shall give vacant possession of such land within the time stipul ated by the Chief Settlement 
Commissioner. 
 (2) For the purpose of recovering possession of any land under sub-section (1), the Chi ef  
Settlement  Commissioner  may  use  or  cause  to  be  used  such  force  as  may  be necessary. 
 7. Preparation of scheme. The Chief Settlement Commissioner may, with the approval of 
the Government, prepare a scheme for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
 
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 8. Penalty. Any person who resists or interferes with the enforcement of the provisions of 
this Act or any scheme or order made thereunder shall be punishable with rigorous imprisonment for 
a term which may extend to one year, or with fine, or with both. 
 9. Prosecution. No person shall be prosecuted for an offence under this Act without the prior 
approval in writing of the Chief Settlement Commissioner. 
 10. Bar of jurisdiction. No provision of this Act or any o rder made or scheme p repared 
thereunder or any action taken in pursuance thereof shall be called in question by or before any 
court. 
 11. Validation. Notwithstanding the  repeal of Martial Law Order No. 251 made by the  
Martial Law Administrator, Zone ‘C’, any action taken scheme made, order passed and thing done in 
pursuance thereof shall be deemed respectively to have been taken, made, passed and done under 
this Act. 
 12. Delegation of power. Subject to the provisions of this Act and the rules made thereunder, 
the Chief Settlement Commissioner may, by notification in the official Gazette, delegate all or any 
of his powers under this Act or the rules made thereunder to a Settlement Commission er or an 
Additional or a Deputy Settlement Commissioner, subject to such conditions, if any, as m ay be 
specified in the notification. 
 13. Power to make rules. Government may make rules for giving effect to the provisions of 
this Act. 
 114. Repeal. The Transfer of Evacuee Land (Katchi Abadi) Ordinance, 1972 (XX of 1972), 
is hereby repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
         Last Uploaded on 25.9.2023 
 
1 This section has been omitted in its application to the extent of Islamabad Capital Territory by the Federal Laws (Revision a nd Declaration) 
Ordinance, 1981, (27 of 1981), s. 5 and IV Sch.,