Civil Pioneer Force Ordinance, 1965

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THE CIVIL PIONEER FORCE ORDINANCE, 1965 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
1.  Short title, extent and commencement 
2.  Definitions 
3.  Constitution of the Civil Pioneer Force 
4.  Duties of the Force 
5.  Officers of the Force 
6.  Appointment of officers 
7.  Enrolment and appointment to units 
8.  Transfers.  
9.  Liability for service 
10.  Discharge and dismissal 
11.  Major offences 
12.  Minor offences 
13.  Attempts to commit offences and abetment of offences 
14.  Summary disposal of minor offences of Civil Pioneers 
15.  Summary disposal of minor ofences of non-gazetted officers 
16.  Summary disposal of minor offences of gazetted officers 
17.  Reduction in rank for inefficiency or lack of zeal 
18.  Trial of minor offences 
19.  Power of Controller to make deduction from pay 
20.  Power of Provincial Government to award punishment 
 
 

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21.  Custody during investigation 
22.  Arrest of deserters 
23.  Place of trial 
24.  Proof of appointment or enrolment 
25.  Power of Federal Government to exercise powers of Provincial Government 
26.  Power to make rules 
 
 
 
  
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THE CIVIL PIONEER FORCE ORDINANCE, 1965 
1ORDINANCE NO. XXVII OF 1965 
[9th September, 1965] 
An Ordinance to constitute a Civil Pioneer Force for service in Pakistan and to provide for the 
organization, control and discipline thereof. 
 WHEREAS it is expedient to constitute a Civil Pioneer Force for service in Pakistan and to 
provide for the organization, control and discipline thereof;  
 AND WHEREAS a Proclamation of Emergency issued under clause (1) of Article 30 of the 
Constitution is in force;  
 AND WHEREAS the President is satisfied that immediate legislation is necessary to meet the 
emergency ;  
 NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (4) of Article 30 of the 
Constitution, read with clause (2) of Article 131 thereof, and of all other powers enabling him in that 
behalf, the President is pleased to make and promulgate the following Ordinance:— 
 1. Short title, extent and commencement.—(1) This Ordinance may be called the Civil 
Pioneer Force Ordinance, 1965.  
 (2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.  
 (3) It shall come into force at once.  
 2. Definitions. In this Ordinance, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,— 
(a)  “Chief Controller ” means the gazetted officer appointed to command all the 
units of the Civil Pioneer Force constituted in, a Province;  
(b)  “ Civil Pioneer”  means an enrolled person other than a gazetted or non-gazetted 
officer;  
(c)  “Controller” means the gazetted officer appointed to command a unit of the 
Civil Pioneer Force, and includes, in his absence from duty, the senior gazetted 
officer of the unit present with the unit;  
(d)  “Detachment” means any portion of a unit of the Civil Pioneer Force serving 
away from the headquarters of the unit;  
(e)  “enrolled person”  means a person for the time being subject to t he provisions 
of this Ordinance; 
 
1Approved by the National Assembly of Pakistan on 26th November, 1965, see Gaz. of P., 1965, Ext., pp. 1416-1423.  
For notifn. Entrusting to the Provincial Government the functions of the Central Government under this Ordinance, see Gaz., of P., 1965, Ext., p. 1152. 
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(f )  “party” means any portion of a unit or detachment ordered to perform any 
particular job or duty at the headquarters or elsewhere ;  
(g)  “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Ordinance ;  
(h)  “service in a war area ” means service in an area in Pakistan in which for the 
time being enemy action is taking place, or in an are a in Pakistan declared by 
the 1[Federal Government], by notification in the official Gazette, to be a war 
area for the purposes of this Ordinance;  
(i)  “Superior Officer” means, in relation to a person subject to this Ordinance, a 
gazetted afficer or a non -gazetted officer who is of a class higher than that 
person or is senior to that person in the same class;  
(j)  “unit”  means a unit of the Civil Pioneer Force constituted under section 3. 
 3. Constitution of the Civil Pioneer Force.—(1) There shall be raised and maintained in the 
manner hereinafter provided a force to be designated the Civil Pioneer Force (hereinafter ca lled the 
“Force “) to perform in Pakistan the duties hereinafter specified.  
 (2) The 1[Federal Government] may constitute for service in any part of Pakistan one or more 
units and may disband or reconstitute any unit so constituted.  
 (3) The strength and composition of a unit shall be such as may be prescribed. 
 4. Duties of the Force.— (1) It shall be the duty of the Force and of the persons enrolled therein 
as and when required by the 2[Federal]or a Provincial Government or by an authority authorised in this 
behalf by the 2[Federal] or Provincial Government, for the purpose of securing the defence of Pakistan 
or any part thereof, the public safety, the maintenance of public order or the efficient prosecution of 
war, or for maintaining supplies and services essential to the life of the community— 
(a)  to repair and maintain important lines of communications, to clear roads after 
an enemy raid, to construct diversions in case of floods, bridges and air landing 
grounds;  
(b)  to load, unload or stack larg e quantity of warlike and other important items 
which of necessity may, have to be moved from one place to another; 
(c)  to construct defence works and air raid shelters;  
(d)  to man vital or other installations in case of emergencies;  
(e)  to clear debr is from important headquarters and offices after enemy 
bombardment;  
(f)  to perform work in factories, workshops and shipyards;  
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 
1 Subs,. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for “Central Government”.  
2 Subs. ibid., for “Central”. 
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 (g)  to render such other services as, in the opinion of the 1[Federal]or a Provincial 
Government, are necessary or expedient for the purposes aforesaid: 
 Provided that the 2[Federal Government] may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, 
levy a charge for any work or carried out by the Force for or on behalf of a Provincial Government, a 
local authority or industrial commercial undertaking.  
 (2) A unit shall be liable for service in the part of Pakistan for which it has been constituted 
under section 3, and shall be liable, if the 2[Federal Government] so orders, for service in any other 
part of Pakistan.  
 5. Officers of the Force. There shall be the following classes of officers in the Force, namely: 
(i)  gazetted officers Class I— 
(a)  Chief Controllers,  
(b)  Controllers,  
(c)  Deputy Controllers,  
(d)  Assistant Controllers,  
(e)  Group Officers;  
(ii)  gazetted officers Class II— 
(a)  Administrative Officers,  
(b)  Store Officers;  
(iii)  non-gazetted officers— 
(a)  Chief Supervisors,  
(b)  Group Supervisors,  
(c)  Assistant Group Supervisors; 
 and such grades in the classes of non-gazetted officers as the 2 [Federal Government] may direct 
 6. Appointment of officers.— (1) Gazetted officers, Class I and Class II shall respectively be 
selected by the 3[Federal Government] and the Provincial Government and the 3[Federal Government] 
shall issue to each such officer on order of appointment.  
 
 
1 Subs. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for Central Government.  
2Subs. ibid., for “Central “Government”. 
3 Subs. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for Central Government. 
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 (2) Non-gazetted officers shall be appointed from amongst Civil Pioneers in the unit by the 
Controller of the unit or by such other authority and in such manner as may be prescribed. 
 7. Enrolment and appointment to units.—(1) Any person who is or is deemed to be a citizen 
of Pakistan may, if he has attained the age of eighteen and is not employed in the Army, Navy or Air 
Force of Pakistan or in the Civil Armed Forces including their Reserves, the Pakistan National Guard, 
village defence or such functionary bodies as are planned to be co-opted by the Armed Forces in time 
of war, including Ansars, unless any of them is specifically allowed by the competent authority, or in 
any employment to which the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act, 1952 (LIII of 1952), for 
the time being applies, offer himself for appointment to or enrolment in the Force, and, if he satisfies 
the prescribed conditions, may be enrolled therein in such manner and for such period as may be 
prescribed, and shall thereupon become subject to the provisions of this Ordinance.  
 (2) Subject to the prescribed conditions, if any, an applicant for enrolment may apply to be 
enrolled for service in a particular unit.  
 (3) Any person enrolled shall without unnecessary delay be appointed in the prescribed manner 
to a unit constituted for the part in which he for the time being resides, or if he applies for enrolment 
in a particular unit to that unit. 
 8. Transfers. Any person appointed to a unit under section 7 may be transferred, whether on 
disbandment of the unit or otherwise, to another unit in such manner as may be prescribed :  
 Provided that a person who is not a gazetted officer shall not, without his own consent, be 
transferred to a unit constituted for a part other than that in which he was enrolled.  
 9. Liability for service. Every person subject to this Ordinance shall be bound to serve in the 
unit of the Force to which he has been appointed or transferred or is for the time being attached until 
he is discharged from the Force.  
 10. Discharge and dismissal. __ (1) Every person subject to this Ordinance shall be entitled to 
receive his discharge from the Force on the expiration of the period for which he was enrolled or on 
his attaining the age of fifty ; but any such person may, before he becomes so entitled, be discharged 
by such authority and subject to such conditions as may be prescribed. 
 (2) The prescribed authority may, subject to such conditions as may be prescribed, dismiss any 
person from the Force.  
 11. Major offences. Any person subject to this Ordinance who— 
(a)  begins, incites, causes or conspires with any other person to cause, or joins in 
any mutiny, or  
(b)  being present at any mutiny, does not use his utmost endeavour to supress it, or  
(c)  knowing or having reason to believe in the existence of any mutiny or of any 
intention to mutiny, does not, without delay, give information thereof to his 
superior officer, or  
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(d)  uses or attempts to use criminal force to, or commits an assault on, his superior 
officer, whether on or off duty, knowing or having reason to believe him to be 
such, or  
(e)  while on service in a war area,—  
(i)  disobeys the lawful command of his superior officer, or  
(ii)  deserts or attempts to desert the service, or  
(iii)  quits his post or party without being relieved or without leave, or  
(iv)  fails to perform his duty, or  
(v)  intentionally causes or spreads a false alarm, or  
(vi)  plunders, destroys or damages property of any kind, 
 shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years and with 
fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. 
 12. Minor offences. Any person subject to this Ordinance who—  
(a)  is in a state of intoxication when on or detailed for duty, or  
(b)  is grossly insubordinate or insolent to his superior officer in the execution of his 
office, or  
(c)  refuses or wilfully neglects to perform or assist in any work or duty ordered to 
be done either in quarters or elsewhere, or  
(d)  while incharge of a party, permits behaviour prejudicial to good order and 
discipline, or 
(e)  uses criminal force to, or commits an assault on, or otherwise ill -treats, any 
member of the Force subordinate to him in rank or position, or  
(f )  designedly or through neglect injures or loses , or fraudulently or without due 
authority disposes of, his clothes, tools or equipment or any such articles 
entrusted to him or belonging to any other member of the Force, or  
(g)  malingers, feigns or produ ces disease or infirmity in himself, or intentionally 
delays his cure or aggravates his disease or infirmity, or  
(h)  with intent to render himself or any other member of the Force unfit for service, 
voluntarily causes hurt to himself or that other member, or  
(i)  while not on service in a war area,— 
(i)  disobeys the lawful command of his superior officer, or  
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(ii)  deserts or attempts to desert the service or his party or his post or his 
duty, or  
(j)  is guilty of any act or omission not otherwise punishable which is prejudicial to 
good order and discipline,  
shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year, or with fine which 
may extend to five hundred rupees, or with both 1[:] 
 2[Provided that offences under clause (a) shall be tried under the Prohibition (Enforcement of 
Hadd) Order, 1979 (P.O. No. 4 of 1979)].  
 13. Attempts to commit offences and abetment of offences . Any enrolled person who 
attempts to commit or abets the commission of an offence under this Ordinance shall be punishable 
with the punishment provided for such offence.  
 14. Summary disposal of minor offences of Civil Pioneers. When a Civil Pioneer is charged 
with an offence punishable under section 12 3[except clause (a) thereof,] the Controller or the gazetted 
officer commanding the detachment in which such person is serving if so authorized in writing by the 
Chief Controller, may dispose of the charge  without formal trial and may award one or more of the 
following punishments, namely :—  
(a)  confinement in such place as may be considered suitable for a period not 
exceeding seven days ; 
(b)  punishment drill, extra work, fatigue or other duty, for a pe riod not exceeding 
thirty days, with or without confinement to quarters or lines ;  
(c)  forfeiture of pay and allowances for a period not exceeding one month.  
 15. Summary disposal of minor offences of non -gazetted officers. When a non -gazetted 
officer is charged with an offenc e punishable under section 12 4[except clause (a) thereof,], the 
Controller or the gazetted officer commanding the detachment in which the non -gazetted officer is 
serving, if so authorised in writing by the Chief Controller, may dispose of the charge without formal 
trial and award to such non-gazetted officer any one or more of the following punishments, namely:— 
(a)  reduction to a lower class or to the ranks ;  
(b)  forfeiture of pay and allowances for a period not exceeding one month ;  
(c)  reprimand or severe reprimand; 
 Provided that no such non -gazetted officer shall be reduced in grade, class or rank except by 
an order of the Controller. 
 
 
1 Subs. by the Civil Pioneer Force (Amdt.) Ordinance, 1983 (30 of 1983), s.2 for full-stop.  
2 Provis. added ibid.  
3 Ins. ibid. 
4 Ins. by the Civil Pioneer Force (Amdt.) Ordinance, 1983 (30 of 1983), ss. 3 and 4. 
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 16. Summary disposal of minor offences of gazetted officers . When a gazetted officer is 
charged with an offence punishable under section 12 1[except clause (a) thereof,], the Chief Controller 
or Controller may, subject to any rules in this behalf, without formal trial, reprimand or severely 
reprimand such officer or may refer the matter to the Provincial Government for disposal.  
 17. Reduction in rank for inefficiency or lack of zeal.  Subject to any rules made in this 
behalf, the Controller may reduce to a lower grade or a lower class or to the ranks any non -gazetted 
officer in his unit on the grounds of ineffciency or lack of zeal.  
 18. Trial of minor offences. __ (1) An offence punishable under section 12 1[except clause (a) 
thereof,] and not disposed of under section 14, 15 or 16 may be tried by the Summary Court, constituted 
as provided in sub-section (2). 
 (2) A Summary Court shall consist of a Magistrate of the first class appointed by the District 
Magistrate, sitting with the Controller or a gazetted officer of the Force nominated by him and a third 
person to be selected by the Provincial Government. The Magistrate so appointed shall be president of 
the Court and, in the event of any difference of opinion, the opinion of the majority shall prevail.  
 (3) A Summary Court may take cognizance of an offence upon a report in writing made by a 
gazetted officer of the Force authorized in this behalf by the Chief Controller, and such officer shall in 
making complaint be deemed to be a public servant acting in the discharge of his official duties. 
 (4) A Summary Court shall in the trial of an offence follow as far as possible the procedure for 
the trial of summary cases in which an appeal lies as laid down in Chapter XXII of the Code of Criminal 
Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898).  
 (5) A Summary Court may pass any sentence authorized by section 12 for the offence.  
 (6) An appeal from a sentence passed by a Summary Court may be made within thirty days of 
the sentence to the authority appointed by the Provincial Government and such authority shall in 
disposing of such appeals follow the same procedure and have the same powers as an appellate Court 
follows and has under the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898).  
 (7) The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898), and of any other 
law for the time being in force, in so far as they may be applicable and in so far as they are not 
inconsistent with the provisions of this Ordinance, shall apply to all matters connected with, arising 
from or consequent upon a trial by a Summary Court.  
 19. Power of Controller to make deduction from pay .—The following deductions may, 
subject to the rules made in this behalf, be made by the Controller from the pay and allowances of any 
person subject to this Ordinance, namely:- 
(a)  all pay and allowances for every day on which such person is absent either on 
desertion or without leave or because of imprisonment awarded by a Criminal 
Court or a Court constituted under this Ordinance ;  
 
1 Ins. by the Civil Pioneer Force (Amdt.) Ordinance, 1983 (30 of 1983), ss. 3 and 4. 
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 (b)  all pay and allowances for every day on which such person is in custody on a 
charge for an offence of which he is afterwards convicted by a Criminal Court 
or a Court constituted under this Ordinance, or on a charge of absence  without 
leave for which he is afterwards awarded punish ment under section 14, 15 or 
16; 
(c)  all pay and allowances for every day on which such person is in hospital on 
account of sickness certified by the medical officer attending him to have been 
caused by an offence punishable under this Ordinance committed by him, or, 
subject to any rules made in this behalf, on account of a venereal disease ;  
(d)  all pay and allowances which may be forfeited under section 14 or 15 ;  
(e)  any deduction from pay which may be ordered under clause (b) of section 20 ;  
(f)  any sum required to defray any expenditure incurred as a consequence of 
misconduct by him or to make good any loss of, or of damage or destruction 
done by him to, any clothes, tools or equipment or to any building or property : 
 Provided that the total deductions from the pay and allowances of any person under clauses (d) 
to (f) shall not in any one month exceed one-half of his pay and allowances for that month.  
 20. Power of Provincial Government to award punishment . The following punishments 
may, subject to  the rules made in this behalf, be awarded to a gazetted officer by the  Provincial 
Government, namely:— 
(a)  reprimand or severe reprimand ;  
(b)  deductions from pay to defray expenditure or recoup loss incurred as a 
consequence of misconduct by him ; and  
(c)  forfeitue of service for purposes of seniority, promotion and annual increments. 
 21. Custody during investigation. Any person charged with an offence punishable under this 
Ordinance may be taken into and kept in custody in the prescribed manner by the unit to which he 
belongs pending investigation of the offence.  
 22. Arrest of deserters.—(1) Whenever any enrolled person deserts his unit, the Controller or 
the gazetted officer commanding the detachment to which he belongs may give written information of 
the desertion to the officer in charge of the nearest police station, and such police officer shall 
thereupon take steps for the apprehension of the deserter in like manner as if he were a person for 
whose apprehension a warrant had been issued by a Magistrate, and shall deliver the deserter when 
apprehended to the custody of his unit.  
 (2) Any police officer may arrest without warrant any person reasonably believed by him to be 
enrolled person who has deserted his unit and shall on making an arrest bring or send the arrested 
person without delay to the nearest unit. 
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 23. Place of trial. An enrolled person charged with an offence punishable under this Ordinance 
may be tried and punished for such offence in any place in Pakistan.  
 24. Proof of appoint ment or enrolment . In any proceedings before a Court the fact that a 
person is a person subject to this Ordinance may be provided by the production of a certificate 
purporting to be signed by the Controller of the unit in which he is so serving.  
 25. Power of 1Federal Government to exercise powers of Provincial Government . The 
1[Federal Government] may exercise any power vested by this Ordinance in the Provincial 
Government.  
 26. Power to make rules . The 1[Federal Government] may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules2 to carry out the purposes of this Ordinance. 
 (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, rules may be 
made to provide for any of the following matters, namely :— 
(a)  appointment of officers ;  
(b)  delegation of powers ;  
(c)  enrolment and appointment to units ;  
(d)  transfers ;  
(e)  reduction in rank for inefficiency or lack of zeal;  
(f)  power of Controllers to make deductions from pay ;  
(g)  power of Provincial Governments ;  
(h)  custody during investigation ;  
(i)  the duties, training, clothing, equipment and conditions of service of enrolled 
persons, the payment of compensation to or in respect of such persons for 
injuries received or death suffered by them ;  
(j)  the organisation of the Force and of the units thereof ;  
(k)  medical examination of persons offering themselves for appointment or 
enrolment ;  
(l)  any matter which is to be or may be prescribed under this Ordinance. 
 
 
 
 
1 Subs. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table, for “Central Government”.  
2 For such rules, see Gaz. of P., 1965, Ext., pp. 1132-1143.