PUNJAB ANIMALS SLAUGHTER CONTROL ACT, 1963

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Punjab Animals Slaughter Control  
1963: Act III 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Restriction on slaughter of animals. 
3A. Presumptions. 
4. Examination in Stock Yard. 
5. Prohibition to cause abortion. 
6. Power to exempt. 
7. Power of entry, search and seizure. 
8. Penalty. 
 8A. Cognizance, bail and summary trial. 
 8-B. Cognizance of offences. 
 8-C. Offences to be tried by whom. 
9. Forfeiture. 
 9A. Record of skins and hides. 
 10. Reward to informers. 
10A. Monitoring and evaluation. 
 11. Rules. 
 12. Repeal. 
 
 
 
THE PUNJAB ANIMALS SLAUGHTER CONTROL ACT 1963 
(III of 1963) 
 
 
TEXT 
1
THE 
2
[PUNJAB] ANIMALS SLAUGHTER CONTROL ACT, 1963 
(III of 1963) 
[17 April 1963] 
An 
Act 
to prohibit the slaughter of useful animals and to regulate the slaughter of other 
animals in 
3
[the Punjab]. 
Preamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to prohibit the slaughter of useful animals and 
to regulate the slaughter of other animals in the Province of 
4
[the Punjab]; 
  It is hereby enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title,  extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be called the 
5
[Punjab] Animals Slaughter Control Act, 1963. 
 
6
[(2) It extends to the whole of the Province of 
7
[the Punjab] , except the 
Tribal Areas.] 
 (3) This section shall come into force at once and the rema ining provisions 
of the Act or any of them shall come into force in such 
8
[*] area and on such date as 
Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify in this behalf. 
2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the  following 
expressions shall have the meanings hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to 
say:– 
9
[(a) “animal” means a bull, bullock, buffalo, buffalo -bull, camel, cow, goat, 
ostrich, sheep or any other halal animal of any age domesticated in 
captivity;] 
                                                           
1For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Gazette of West Pakistan, 1963 (Extraordinary), pp.  4342-4343. This Act was 
passed by the West Pakistan Assembly on March 30, 1963; assented to by the Govern or of West Pakistan on April 12, 1963; 
published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated April 17, 1963, pp. 1609-1612. 
2Substituted for the words “West Pakistan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 14.8.1973), 
published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425 -A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read with 
Schedule, Part III, Serial No. 60. 
3Ibid. 
4Ibid.  
5Ibid.  
6Substituted by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 1965 (XXIV of 1965), published in the 
Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated August 14, 1965, pp. 4449-4451, s. 2(a). 
7Substituted for the words “West Pakistan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 14.8.1973), 
published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425 -A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read with 
Schedule, Part III, Serial No. 60.  
8Omitted the word “urban” by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 1965 (XXIV of 196 5), 
published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated August 14, 1965, pp. 4449-4451, s. 2(b). 
9Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2013 (XIX of 2013), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated August 27, 2013, p. 777, s. 2, which was earlier substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control 
(Amendment) Act, 2012 (XLVIII of 2012), published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated July 30, 2012, p. 417, s. 2. 
 
1
[(b) “carcass” means a de-skinned body of an animal and includes a part of 
a de-skinned body of an animal;]  
2
[(ba) “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898);] 
(c) “cull” means to pick an animal which is suitable neither for breed ing 
purposes nor for draught purposes; 
3
[(ca) “gazetted officer” means an officer of the Government at Tehsil and 
District level authorized by the Government to act as gazetted officer 
for purposes of the Act;] 
(d) “Government” means the 
4
[Provincial Government of the Punjab]; 
5
[(e) “local authority” means a local government as defined under the 
Punjab Local Government Act 2013 (XII of 2013) or a Cantonment 
Board established under the Cantonment Act, 1924 (II of 1924) or a 
body constituted under any other l aw for the performance of the 
functions of local government;] 
6
[(ee) “meat” means the meat of an animal;] 
(f) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act; 
7
[(ff) “rules” means rules made under this Act;]  
(g) “slaughter” means to kill animals by any means; 
(h) “slaughter-house” means any building or premises used for 
slaughtering animals and approved by the local authority concerned; 
8
[(i) “stock yard” means any enclosure, constructed, managed or approved 
by a local authority where animals ar e assembled for examination by 
the Veterinary Officer to determine their suitability for slaughtering or 
where animals approved for slaughtering are housed until they are 
removed to the slaughter-house;] 
9
[(j) “area” means an area which the Government may, by notification in the 
Official Gazette, declare to be an area for the purposes of this Act;] 
                                                           
1Substituted by the Punjab Animal s Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab  Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 2(a). 
2Inserted by the Act ibid., s. 2(b).  
3Ibid., s. 2(c). 
4Substituted for the words “Government of West Pak istan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 
14.8.1973), published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425 -A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read 
with Schedule, Part III, Serial No. 60.  
5Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April  20, 2016, pp. 4655 -4659, s. 2(d), which was earlier substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter 
Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 1982 (VII of 1982), published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary)  dated May 26, 1982, pp. 
293-A-293-B, s. 2. 
6Inserted by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VIII of 1970), published in 
the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 2(b). 
7Ibid., s. 2(c).  
8Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab  Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 2(e). 
9Substituted by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Ordinance, 1965 (XXIV of 1965), published in the 
Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated August 14, 1965, pp. 4449-4451, s. 3(iii). 
1
[(k) “useful animal” means:  
(i) a female sheep or goat below the age of one year and six 
months; 
(ii) a male sheep or goat below the age of three months; 
(iii) a calf below the age of four months; 
(iv) a female sheep or goat of the age exceeding one year and six 
months but not exceeding four years, which is pregnant or fit for 
breeding purposes; 
(v) a female animal, other than sheep or goat below three years of 
age;  
(vi) a female animal, other than sheep or goat, which is pregnant or 
in milk or fit for breeding purposes; 
 (vii) a female animal, other than sheep or goat, between three to ten 
years of age which is fit for draught purposes; 
but does not include an animal which, on account of culling, injury or any other cause 
not adversely affecting the quality of meat for human consumption, is certified in 
writing by a Veterinary Officer or a gazetted officer as no longer a useful animal for 
purposes of the Act;] 
2
[(l) “Veterinary Officer” means a Veterinary Officer under the administrative 
control of Livestock and Dairy Development Department of the Government.] 
3
[3. Restriction on slaughter of animals .– (1) A person shall not slaughter a 
useful animal.  
  (2) An animal shall not be slaughtered: 
(a) except in accordance with this Act and in a slaughter-house; 
(b) unless the animal is approved for slaughter in accordance with the Act; 
or 
(c) on Tuesday and Wednesday or on such other day or days as the 
Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, specify. 
(3) A person shall not: 
(a) sell, keep, store, transport, supply, offer or expose for sale, or hawk 
any meat or carcass of a: 
(i) haram animal or of an animal which died of, or has suffered 
from contagious diseases  or has been poisoned to death, or 
died because of gunshot wound or electrocution; 
 (ii) meat or carcass of any animal which has been slaughtered in 
contravention of this Act or does not bear the stamp, mark, tag 
                                                           
1Substituted by the Punjab Animals  Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 2(f). 
2Ibid., s. 2(g). 
3Ibid., s. 3(a).  
 
or certification of the slaughter -house spe cified by the 
concerned local authority; or  
(b) sell or cause to be sold any meat at a place other than that set apart or 
approved for this purpose by the concerned local authority. 
(4) Nothing contained in this section shall apply to the slaughter of an 
animal by a Muslim on the day of Eid-ul-Azha and the two succeeding days of Eid-ul-
Azha or any other religious ceremony.] 
1
[3A. Presumptions.– In every prosecution under this Act, the court shall presume 
that any:– 
(a) meat or carcass found in possession o f any person who is, or has 
been, habitually selling, keeping, storing, transporting, offering or 
exposing for sale, or hawking the meat or carcass, was being sold, 
kept, stored, transported, offered or exposed for sale or hawked by 
such person; 
2
[(b) meat or carcass which does not bear the stamp, mark, tag or 
certification of a slaughter -house has been slaughtered in 
contravention of the Act.]  
(c) person who is in possession of the premises, where an offence under 
the Act has been or is being committed by  another person, has abetted 
the offence;  
(d) meat obtained from an animal slaughtered in contravention of the Act is 
unfit for human consumption;  
(e) animal captured from the premises, where other animal is illegally 
slaughtered, is being kept there for  the purpose of illegal slaughtering; 
and 
(f) person dealing in, or processing skins and hides of dead or haram 
animals, without maintaining proper authentic record under section 9-A, 
is involved in sale of meat of dead or haram animals.] 
4.  Examination i n Stock Yard .– (1) Any person intending to slaughter an 
animal in slaughter-house shall produce the animal in the stock yard for examination 
at any time during the hours fixed by the local authority concerned for inspection. 
  (2) After examination of any such animal, the Veterinary Officer may 
approve it for slaughter: 
 Provided that no useful animal shall be so approved. 
  
3
[(3) A person aggrieved by a decision of the Veterinary Officer may, within 
twenty four hours of such decision, prefer an appeal against the decision to an officer 
notified, for the purpose, by the Government.] 
                                                           
1Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 20 16 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 4. 
2Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control ( Second Amendment) Act 2016 ( XLI of 2016), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated September 6, 2016, p. 1625, s. 2. 
3Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 5. 
  (4) Subject to the decision of the appellate authority the decision of the 
Veterinary Officer shall be final. 
5. Prohibition to cause abortion .– No person shall voluntarily cau se a 
pregnant sheep to mis-carry or induce premature birth of its young. 
6. Power to exempt.– Government may, under special circumstances subject to 
such conditions as it may deem fit to impose, exempt any person or class of persons 
from all or any provisions of this Act. 
 
1
[7. 
2
[Power of entry, search and seizure ].– (1) A Veterinary Officer or any 
Gazetted Officer may– 
(a) enter and search a slaughter -house or any other premises where he 
has reason to believe that an offence under this Act or rules has bee n, 
is being or is about to be committed, and may seize any animal, 
carcass or meat, in respect of which such offence has been, is being or 
is about to be committed, as the case may be; and 
(b) arrest or cause to be arrested any person who, in his view, com mits 
any offence under the provisions of this Act or the rules. 
3
[(2) A Veterinary Officer or a gazetted officer arresting or causing the arrest 
of any person, or seizing or causing the seizure of any animal, carcass or meat shall: 
(a) without unnecessary dela y, send the person arrested to the police -
officer along with a report, in writing, stating facts constituting the 
offence for which such person has been arrested;  
(b) dispose of the seized meat, carcass or other items under section 9;  
(c) seal the premises for a  period up to seven days being used for illegal 
slaughtering of animals, sale and storage point of illegally slaughtered 
meat to preserve evidence of the offence under intimation to local 
authority about illegal use of the premises; and 
(d) send a complain t to the appropriate authority for suspension and 
cancellation of the license of the person.]] 
4
[8. Penalty.– (1) If a person contravenes any provision of this Act, other than the 
provisions of clause (a) of subsection (3) of section 3, or the rules, he shall:  
(a) on first conviction, be punished with imprisonment for a term which 
may extend to six months but which shall not be less than fifteen days 
and with fine which may extend to one hundred thousand rupees but 
which shall not be less than twenty five  thousand rupees;  
                                                           
1Substituted by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VIII of 1970), published in 
the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 5. 
2Misprinted in the Gazette. 
3Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Am endment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Ga zette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 6. 
4Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gaz ette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655 -4659, s.  7, which was earlier substituted by the West Pakistan Animals 
Slaughter Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VIII of 1970), published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 
November 21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 6 . 
 
(b) on second conviction, be punished with imprisonment which may 
extend to one year but which shall not be less than one month and with 
fine which may extend to two hundred thousand rupees but which shall 
not be less than one hundred thousand rupees; and 
(c) on third or subsequent conviction, be punished with imprisonment 
which may extend to two years but which shall not be less than six 
months and with fine which may extend to five hundred thousand 
rupees but which shall not be less than two hundred thousand rupees.  
  (2) If a person contravenes any provision of clause (a) of subsection (3) of 
section 3, he shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to eight years 
but which shall not be less than four years and with fine which may extend to five 
hundred thousand rupees but which shall not be less than three hundred thousand 
rupees. 
  (3) An attempt to contravene any provision of this Act or the rules and an 
abetment of such contravention shall be punished as an offence under this Act.] 
 
1
[8A. Cognizance, bail and summary trial .– (1) Notwithstanding anything 
contained in the Code, an offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and 
non-bailable. 
(2) A magistrate of the first class shall conduct the trial of an offence under 
the Act in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code relating to the 
summary trials.] 
 
2
[8-B. Cognizance of offences .– No court shall take cognizance of any offence 
punishable under this Act or the rules except on a report, in writing, of the fact s 
constituting such offence made by a Veterinary Officer or a Gazetted Officer. 
8-C. Offences to be tried by whom .– No court inferior to that of a magistrate of 
the first class shall try any offence punishable under this Act or the rules.] 
 
3
[9. Forfeiture.– (1) The court trying an offence under this Act may direct that any 
animal, carcass or meat in respect of which the court is satisfied that an offence 
under the Act has been committed, be forfeited to the Government in accordance 
with law .  
 (2) Any mea t or its by -products slaughtered in contravention of the Act 
shall be forfeited to the Government and shall be disposed of through burial, 
incineration or any other manner, as may be prescribed. 
 (3) The police -officer, for earliest disposal of animal, car cass, meat or 
other by -product, shall immediately submit a request to the court for obtaining 
appropriate orders. 
                                                           
1Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655 -4659, s. 8, which was earlier added by the West Pakistan Animals Sl aughter 
Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VIII of 1970), published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 
21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 7. 
2Added by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VI II of 1970), published in the 
Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 7. 
3Substituted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab Gaz ette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 9. 
(4) Subject to subsection (3) an animal shall be auctioned by a gazetted 
officer at the designated slaughter -house, after making publicity in the prescribed 
manner.] 
 
1
[9A. Record of skins and hides .– Any person, dealing in or processing of skins 
and hides of dead or haram animals, shall keep a complete record of the 
procurements and supplies of the skins and hides in the prescribed manner and t he 
Veterinary Officer or gazetted officer may inspect the premises where the person 
deals in or processes skins and hides of dead haram animals.] 
 
2
[10. Reward to informers.– The court trying an offence under this Act may direct 
that an amount not exceedin g seventy five percent of such sum as may be realized 
by way of fine or under section 517 of the Code, be awarded to the person or 
persons supplying information relating to the commission of the offence under the 
Act.] 
 
3
[10A. Monitoring and evaluation .– (1) The Government shall, at least once in a 
year, conduct or cause to be conducted, the performance audit of the persons and 
authorities performing functions under this Act inter alia to assess and evaluate the 
performance of those persons and authorities in accomplishing the objectives of the 
Act.  
 (2) The Government shall evaluate the report mentioned in subsection (1) 
and shall, on the basis of the report, issue such directions to the concerned persons 
or authorities as may be necessary for accomplishing the objectives of the Act.] 
11. Rules.– Government may frame rules– 
(i) to regulate the procedure for the disposal of animals, carcass or meat 
seized under this Act; and 
(ii) generally to give effect to the provisions of this Act. 
4
[12. Repeal.– Section 43 of the Punjab Laws Act, 1872, is hereby repealed.] 
 
 
                                                           
1Inserted by the Punjab Animals Slaughter Control (Amendment) Act 2016 (XXV of 2016), published in the Punjab  Gazette 
(Extraordinary), dated April 20, 2016, pp. 4655-4659, s. 10. 
2Substituted by the Act ibid., s. 11. 
3Ibid., s. 12.  
4Substituted by the West Pakistan Animals Slaughter Control (Punjab Amendment) Ordinance, 1970 (VIII of 1970), published in 
the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 21, 1970, pp. 522-A-522-E, s. 8.