Page 1 of 3 
 
 
 
 
THE RULERS OF ACCEDING STATES (ABOLITION OF PRIVY 
PURSES AND PRIVILEGES) ORDER, 1972 
 
 
 
 
 
CONTENTS 
 
______ 
 
SECTIONS 
 
1.  Short title and commencement.  
2.  Order to override other laws.  
3.  Interpretation. 
4.  Abolition of privy purses and withdrawal of other privileges. 
5.  Maintenance allowance. 
6.  Articles 4 and 5 to apply to certain Nawabs. 
7.  Additional power of the President.  
8.  Power to interpret, etc.  
  
Updated till 15.11.2021 

 
Page 2 of 3 
 
THE RULERS OF ACCEDING STATES (ABOLITION OF PRIVY PURSES 
AND PRIVILEGES) ORDER, 1972 
 
(PRESIDENT’S ORDER NO. 15 OF 1972) 
 
[16th  April, 1972] 
 
WHEREAS it is expedient to abolish the privy purses of, and other privileges admissible to, 
the Rulers of Acceding States: 
 
NOW, THEREFORE, in pursuance of the Proclamation of the 25 th day of March, 1969, read 
with the Proclamation of the 20th day of December, 1971, and in exercise of all powers enabling him 
in that behalf, the President and Chief Martial Law Administrator is pleased to make the following 
Order:___ 
 
1. Short title and commencement. ___(1) This Order may be called the Rulers of Acceding 
States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) Order, 1972. 
 
(2) It shall come into force at once and shall be deemed to have taken effect on the 22 nd day 
of December, 1971. 
 
2. Order to override other laws.  The provisions of this Order shall have effect 
notwithstanding anything contained in the Provisional Constitution Order or in any other law for the 
time being in force, or in any Instrument of Accession or any agreement with a Ruler. 
 
3. Interpretation. In this Order, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,___ 
 
(a) “Acceding State” means a State which has at any  time after the fourteenth day 
of August, 1947, been in accession with Pakistan; 
 
(b) “Privy purse” include any allowance whatever payable to a Ruler under any 
Instrument of Accession, or other agreement; 
 
(c) “Ruler” means a Ruler of an Acceding State, ho wsoever designated, and 
includes a person recognized before the commencement of this Order under 
the Rulers (Recognition of Successors) Order, 1960 (P.O. No. 15 of 1960), as 
the successor such Ruler. 
 
4. Abolition of privy purses and withdrawal of other privileges. The right of a Ruler to a 
privy purse, and all other privileges or titles guaranteed or granted to a Ruler by or under any 
Instrument of Accession, agreement or under any law, are hereby abolished. 
 
5. Maintenance allowance.___(1) The 1[Federal Government] may grant with effect from the 
commencement of this Order, in lieu of the privy purse and other privileges of a Ruler abolished under 
Article 4, maintenance allowance to___ 
 
 
1Subs. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table for “Central Government”.  
 
Page 3 of 3 
 
(a) such Ruler at the rate not exceeding the amount of the privy purse guaranteed 
or assured to him reduced, however, by the amount, if any, payable out of such 
privy purse by the way of allowance or otherwise to any dependent of the Ruler; 
and 
 
(b) a dependent of such Ruler who, immediately before such commencement, was 
entitled to receive out of the privy purse of such Ruler any payment by way of 
allowance or otherwise at the rate at which he was entitled, subject to any 
reduction that the 1[Federal Government] may order. 
 
(2) Any grant of maintenance allowance under clause (1) to a Ruler or a dependent of a Ruler 
shall ordinarily be for the duration of his life and shall be subject to the condition that such Ruler or 
dependent bears true faith and allegiance to Pakistan, conscientiously discharges the obligation s as 
citizen of Pakistan and faithfully acts in the interest of the integrity and solidarity of Pakistan. 
 
2[(3) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (1) and subject to clause (2), the Federal 
Government may, for reasons to be recorded in writing, increase maintenance allowance of a Ruler or, 
as the case may be, a dependent of a Ruler.] 
 
6. Articles 4 and 5 to apply to certain Nawabs . The provisions of Articles 4 and 5 sh all, so 
far as may be, apply to the Nawabs of Dera, Tank and Deri, the Shaikh Sahib of Mangrol and the 
Talukdars of Sardargadh, Sultanabad and Bantwa in the same manner as they apply to a Ruler, in 
respect of any allowance of whatever kind payable, or any privilege granted, to them before the 
commencement of this Order. 
 
7. Additional power of the President. Nothing contained in this Order shall be construed to 
limit or derogate from the power of the President to grant to a Ruler any privilege, facility or concession 
for such period and or such conditions as he may determine. 
 
8. Power to interpret, etc.  If any question arises as to the interpretation of the provisions of 
this Order or as to whether any Ruler or dependent has contravened any condition referred to in clause 
(2) of Article 5, it shall be referred to the President for decision and the decision of the President 
thereon shall be final and shall not be questioned in any court, tribunal or other authority. 
 
 
1Subs. by F.A.O., 1975, Art. 2 and Table for “Central Government”. 
2Added by the Rulers of Acceding States (Abolition of Privy Purses and Privileges) (Amendment) Act, 2017 (XXXIX of 2017), s. 2.