PUNJAB NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND RELIEF) ACT, 1958

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THE PUNJAB NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND 
RELIEF) ACT, 1958 
(XXXIII of 1958) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Declaration of calamity affected area. 
3-A. Appointment of Relief Commissioner. 
4. Preventions and relief. 
5. Requisition of services of Government officials. 
6. Punishment and procedure. 
7. Delegation of powers. 
8. Revision. 
9. Power to give effect to order. 
10. Bar to action. 
11. Rules. 
12. Repeal. 
 
 
 
 
 
TEXT 
1
THE 
2
[PUNJAB] NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND RELIEF) 
ACT, 1958 
(XXXIII of 1958) 
[24 April 1958] 
An 
Act 
to provide for the maintenance and restoration of order in areas affected by certain 
calamities and for the prevention and control of and relief against such calamities. 
Preamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the maintenance and 
restoration of order in areas affected by certain calamities and for the prevention and 
control of and relief against such calamities; 
 It is hereby enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be called the 
3
[Punjab] National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1958. 
 
4
[(2) It extends to the whole of the Province of 
5
[the Punjab], except the 
Tribal Areas.] 
 (3) It shall come into force at once. 
2. Definitions.– In this Act unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or 
context– 
6
[(a) “Relief Commissioner” means the person appointed as such under 
section 3-A;] 
(b) “Government” means the 
7
[Provincial Government of the Punjab]; and 
(c) “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act. 
1
[3. Declaration of calamity affected area .– Whenever the Province or any part 
thereof is affected or threatened by flood, famine, locust or any other pest, hailstorm, 
                                                           
1For Statement of Objects and Reasons see Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), d ated January 15, 1957, p.  49. This Act was 
passed by the West Pakistan Assembly on April 3, 1958, assented to by the Governor of West Pakistan on April 19, 1958, published in 
the West Pakistan Gazette (Extraordinary), dated April 24, 1958, pp. 711-716. 
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, Entry No. 13. 
3Ibid. 
4Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the 
Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 2. 
5Substituted 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, Entry No. 13. 
6Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the 
Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 3. 
7Substituted for the words “Government of 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, Entry No. 13. 
fire, epidemic or any other calamity which, in the opinion of Government, warrants 
action under this Act, Government may, by notification, declare the whole or any part 
of the Province, as the case may be, as calamity-affected area.]  
2
[3-A. Appointment of Relief Commissioner .– (1) Government may, by 
notification, appoint a Relief Commissioner for the Province.  
 (2) Government may confer on the Relief Commissioner for the whole or 
part of the Province–  
(i) the powers of a Magistrate of the First Class under section 144 of the 
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898; and  
(ii) powers under such other laws as Government may consider necessary 
for carrying out the purposes of this Act.]  
4. Preventions and relief.– (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act and of 
the rules made thereunder, the Relief Commissioner shall, with respect to the 
calamity-affected area, take such steps as he may deem necessary i n order to 
maintain order, prevent, check or control the calamity or reduce the extent and 
severity thereof, or to provide immediate relief to the victims of the calamity in the 
calamity-affected area. 
 (2) In particular and without prejudice to the genera lity of the powers 
conferred by the preceding sub-section the Relief Commissioner shall have power 
3
[* 
* *]:– 
(a) to evacuate or segregate population; 
(b) to requisition bulldozers, tractors, motor vehicles, carts, carriages, 
boats and other means of trans port by air, land or water, and beasts of 
burden; 
(c) to require the residents to declare surplus stocks of food, fodder, fire -
wood, clothing and beddings and to requisition all or any of these 
articles; 
(d) to requisition building materials; 
(e) to requisition any building or land; 
(f) to demolish any building or other structure; 
(g) to conscript labour; 
(h) to direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take certain 
order with regard to certain property in his possession or under his 
management; 
and after approval of the Government– 
(i) to acquire any land; or 
                                                                                                                                                                                     
1Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in 
the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 4. 
2Inserted by the Act ibid., s. 5. 
3Omitted the words “within the cala mity-affected area” by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  
(Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-
890, s. 6(i). 
(j) to remit in whole or part any Government dues payable by any person 
or in respect of any property affected by the calamity: 
 Provided that with respect to the powers conferred by clause s (b), (c), (d), (e), 
(f), (g), (h) and (i), of this sub-section the person owning the article, beasts of burden, 
building or land which is requisitioned or acquired, or the building or other structure 
which is demolished, or the person directed to abstain  from any act or to take any 
order with regard to any property, and the persons conscripted to work as labourers 
shall be entitled to reasonable compensation as may be claimable under any law for 
the time being in force, or if no such law exists as is appl icable to the case, then as 
prescribed by rules under this Act, and such compensation shall be paid within one 
year from the day it falls due 
1
[:]  
 
2
[Provided further that the powers conferred by clauses (a), (f), (g) and (h) of 
this sub-section shall be exercised by the Relief Commissioner only within the area 
or areas declared as calamity-affected under section 3.] 
 (3) Subject to the right of the owner to claim compensation, the property 
with regard to which an order for requisition or acquisition has b een passed by the 
Relief Commissioner shall forthwith vest in the Relief Commissioner, who may deal 
with it in such manner as he deems proper in order to discharge his duties under this 
Act: 
 Provided that when the purpose for which the property was requis itioned has 
been served it may, at his request be returned to the owner after the compensation 
paid to him has been refunded by him less the depreciation charges. 
 (4) The Relief Commissioner may, in addition to any other action 
prescribed by or under this  Act, use or cause to be used such force as may, in his 
opinion, be reasonably necessary for securing compliance with or giving effect to or 
preventing any contravention of an order passed or for the effective exercise of a 
power exercisable under this Act. 
5. Requisition of services of Government officials .– The Relief 
Commissioner may, for the purposes of this Act, directly requisition the services of 
any employee of the Government within the calamity-affected area, after consultation 
with the official su perior of his Department, as far as practicable, and the person to 
whom the requisition is addressed shall comply with it as if it were an order passed 
by the Government or, as the case may be, by his official superiors. 
6. Punishment and procedure .– (1) A ny person who fails to comply with an 
order passed by the Relief Commissioner or any other person authorised to pass an 
order under this Act or the rules thereunder shall be deemed to have disobeyed a 
direction so as to be liable for punishment under secti on 188 of the Pakistan Penal 
Code, 1860
3
. 
                                                           
1Substituted for semi -colon by th e West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 
1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 6(ii). 
2Added by the Act ibid. 
3XLV of 1860. 
 (2) Nothing in sub -section (1) shall debar a competent authority from 
taking disciplinary action against an employee of the Government who has failed to 
obey a lawful order passed under this Act or the rules thereunder. 
 (3) Every offence punishable under this Act shall, within the meaning of 
the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898
1
, be cognizable and may be tried in 
accordance with the procedure prescribed by that Code for summary trials. 
7. Delegation of powers.– 
2
[(1) The Relief Commissioner may in areas declared 
as calamity-affected under section 3, by an order in writing, direct that all or any of 
his powers under this Act, shall in relation to such matters, and subject to such 
conditions, if any, as may be specified in the order, also be exercised by such officer, 
not below the rank of a Gazetted Officer, as may be specified in the order.] 
 (2) The Relief Commissioner and the officers to whom all or any of his 
powers have been delegated under sub -section (1) shall  be public servants within 
the meaning of section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860
3
. 
8. Revision.– (1) Any order passed under this Act by the Relief Commissioner, 
shall be subject to revision by the Government, and the Relief Commissioner shall 
give effect to the orders of the Government made in revision. 
 
4
[Provided that no order in revision shall be passed without giving to the party 
to be affected thereby an opportunity of being heard.] 
 (2) The Government shall, by rules, prescribe the class of cases  and the 
manner in which and the time within which orders made under this Act shall be liable 
to revision by the Government. 
9. Power to give effect to order .– If in any case it is not possible to serve an 
order under this Act on any person without defeati ng the object of the order or if the 
person to whom the order is addressed fails to comply with it, the Relief 
Commissioner may, after recording the reason for doing so, give effect to the order 
and for that purpose may take such steps or pass such order w ith regard to any 
property as he considers necessary. 
10. Bar to action .– No order made under this Act shall be called in question in 
any court and no civil or criminal proceeding shall be instituted against any person 
for anything done or purported to hav e been done, or intended to be done in good 
faith under this Act or against any person for any loss or damage caused to, or in 
respect of any property whereof possession has been taken or which has otherwise 
been dealt with under this Act. 
11. Rules.– (1) The Government shall, as soon as may be, make rules for the 
purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act. 
                                                           
1V of 1898. 
2Substituted for semi -colon by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 
1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 7. 
3XLV of 1860. 
4Added by the Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Ordinance , 19 85 (XV of 1985), vide No. 
Legis.3(15)/85, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated February 23, 1985, s. 2. 
 (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the power 
conferred by sub-section (1), the Government may, by rules, prov ide for all or any of 
the following matters, namely:– 
(a) the procedure to be adopted in giving alarm of an impending calamity; 
(b) the method of securing information with regard to flood or any other 
impending calamity; 
(c) the measures and precautions to be taken to avert any such calamity; 
(d) the procedure to be followed for survey of places of safety and the 
entry into any such place for the purpose of such survey after a proper 
notice; 
(e) the method of assessment and payment of compensation on accoun t 
of requisition and acquisition of property under this Act; and 
(f) the procedure with regard to revisions against an order passed under 
this Act and the period during which such revisions can be presented. 
 (3) The rules made under this Act shall be laid  on the table of the 
Provincial Assembly during the session of the Assembly next following and may be 
rescinded or modified by a resolution of the Assembly. 
12. Repeal.– The Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1951
1
 
2
[, the Khairpur Nat ional Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1954] and the West 
Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Ordinance, 1956
3
, are hereby 
repealed. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                           
1Punjab III of 1952. 
2Added by the West Pakistan National Calamit ies (Prevention and Relief)  (Amendment) Ordinance, 195 9 (XLVII of 1959), 
published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated August 29, 1959, pp. 775-776, s. 2.  
3W.P. Ordinance XI of 1956.