{ "schema_version": "qanun-law-text/1", "id": "punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc", "title": "PUNJAB NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND RELIEF) ACT, 1958", "source_collection": "Punjab", "content_kind": "stored_law_text", "content_extent": null, "source_url": "https://punjabcode.punjab.gov.pk/en/show_article/BzJcbwIyUGY-", "version": null, "source_snapshot": "2026-08-06T16:58:58Z", "legal_status": "not independently verified", "text_quality": "Complete stored UTF-8 TXT file recovered byte-for-byte from owned Drive. Source transcription retained verbatim; legal completeness, OCR accuracy and current consolidation unverified.", "text_sha256": "70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b", "source_sha256": "70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b", "text_version_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b", "quality_flags": [], "encoding": "UTF-8", "text": "THE PUNJAB NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND \r\nRELIEF) ACT, 1958 \r\n(XXXIII of 1958) \r\nCONTENTS \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement. \r\n2. Definitions. \r\n3. Declaration of calamity affected area. \r\n3-A. Appointment of Relief Commissioner. \r\n4. Preventions and relief. \r\n5. Requisition of services of Government officials. \r\n6. Punishment and procedure. \r\n7. Delegation of powers. \r\n8. Revision. \r\n9. Power to give effect to order. \r\n10. Bar to action. \r\n11. Rules. \r\n12. Repeal. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\nTEXT \r\n1\r\nTHE \r\n2\r\n[PUNJAB] NATIONAL CALAMITIES (PREVENTION AND RELIEF) \r\nACT, 1958 \r\n(XXXIII of 1958) \r\n[24 April 1958] \r\nAn \r\nAct \r\nto provide for the maintenance and restoration of order in areas affected by certain \r\ncalamities and for the prevention and control of and relief against such calamities. \r\nPreamble.– WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the maintenance and \r\nrestoration of order in areas affected by certain calamities and for the prevention and \r\ncontrol of and relief against such calamities; \r\n It is hereby enacted as follows:– \r\n1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be called the \r\n3\r\n[Punjab] National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1958. \r\n \r\n4\r\n[(2) It extends to the whole of the Province of \r\n5\r\n[the Punjab], except the \r\nTribal Areas.] \r\n (3) It shall come into force at once. \r\n2. Definitions.– In this Act unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or \r\ncontext– \r\n6\r\n[(a) “Relief Commissioner” means the person appointed as such under \r\nsection 3-A;] \r\n(b) “Government” means the \r\n7\r\n[Provincial Government of the Punjab]; and \r\n(c) “Prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act. \r\n1\r\n[3. Declaration of calamity affected area .– Whenever the Province or any part \r\nthereof is affected or threatened by flood, famine, locust or any other pest, hailstorm, \r\n \r\n1For Statement of Objects and Reasons see Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), d ated January 15, 1957, p. 49. This Act was \r\npassed by the West Pakistan Assembly on April 3, 1958, assented to by the Governor of West Pakistan on April 19, 1958, published in \r\nthe West Pakistan Gazette (Extraordinary), dated April 24, 1958, pp. 711-716. \r\n2Substituted for the words “West Pakistan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 14.8.1973), published in the \r\nPunjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425-A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read with Schedule, Part III, Entry No. 13. \r\n3Ibid. \r\n4Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the \r\nGazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 2. \r\n5Substituted for the words “West Pakistan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 14.8.1973), published in the \r\nPunjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425-A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read with Schedule, Part III, Entry No. 13. \r\n6Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the \r\nGazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 3. \r\n7Substituted for the words “Government of West Pakistan” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation) Order, 1974 (1 of 1974) (w.e.f. 14.8.1973), \r\npublished in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated November 20, 1974, pp. 1425-A-1425-PP, Article 2(1) read with Schedule, Part \r\nIII, Entry No. 13. \r\nfire, epidemic or any other calamity which, in the opinion of Government, warrants \r\naction under this Act, Government may, by notification, declare the whole or any part \r\nof the Province, as the case may be, as calamity-affected area.] \r\n2\r\n[3-A. Appointment of Relief Commissioner .– (1) Government may, by \r\nnotification, appoint a Relief Commissioner for the Province. \r\n (2) Government may confer on the Relief Commissioner for the whole or \r\npart of the Province– \r\n(i) the powers of a Magistrate of the First Class under section 144 of the \r\nCode of Criminal Procedure, 1898; and \r\n(ii) powers under such other laws as Government may consider necessary \r\nfor carrying out the purposes of this Act.] \r\n4. Preventions and relief.– (1) Subject to the other provisions of this Act and of \r\nthe rules made thereunder, the Relief Commissioner shall, with respect to the \r\ncalamity-affected area, take such steps as he may deem necessary i n order to \r\nmaintain order, prevent, check or control the calamity or reduce the extent and \r\nseverity thereof, or to provide immediate relief to the victims of the calamity in the \r\ncalamity-affected area. \r\n (2) In particular and without prejudice to the genera lity of the powers \r\nconferred by the preceding sub-section the Relief Commissioner shall have power \r\n3\r\n[* \r\n* *]:– \r\n(a) to evacuate or segregate population; \r\n(b) to requisition bulldozers, tractors, motor vehicles, carts, carriages, \r\nboats and other means of trans port by air, land or water, and beasts of \r\nburden; \r\n(c) to require the residents to declare surplus stocks of food, fodder, fire -\r\nwood, clothing and beddings and to requisition all or any of these \r\narticles; \r\n(d) to requisition building materials; \r\n(e) to requisition any building or land; \r\n(f) to demolish any building or other structure; \r\n(g) to conscript labour; \r\n(h) to direct any person to abstain from a certain act or to take certain \r\norder with regard to certain property in his possession or under his \r\nmanagement; \r\nand after approval of the Government– \r\n(i) to acquire any land; or \r\n \r\n1Substituted by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in \r\nthe Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 4. \r\n2Inserted by the Act ibid., s. 5. \r\n3Omitted the words “within the cala mity-affected area” by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) \r\n(Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of 1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-\r\n890, s. 6(i). \r\n(j) to remit in whole or part any Government dues payable by any person \r\nor in respect of any property affected by the calamity: \r\n Provided that with respect to the powers conferred by clause s (b), (c), (d), (e), \r\n(f), (g), (h) and (i), of this sub-section the person owning the article, beasts of burden, \r\nbuilding or land which is requisitioned or acquired, or the building or other structure \r\nwhich is demolished, or the person directed to abstain from any act or to take any \r\norder with regard to any property, and the persons conscripted to work as labourers \r\nshall be entitled to reasonable compensation as may be claimable under any law for \r\nthe time being in force, or if no such law exists as is appl icable to the case, then as \r\nprescribed by rules under this Act, and such compensation shall be paid within one \r\nyear from the day it falls due \r\n1\r\n[:] \r\n \r\n2\r\n[Provided further that the powers conferred by clauses (a), (f), (g) and (h) of \r\nthis sub-section shall be exercised by the Relief Commissioner only within the area \r\nor areas declared as calamity-affected under section 3.] \r\n (3) Subject to the right of the owner to claim compensation, the property \r\nwith regard to which an order for requisition or acquisition has b een passed by the \r\nRelief Commissioner shall forthwith vest in the Relief Commissioner, who may deal \r\nwith it in such manner as he deems proper in order to discharge his duties under this \r\nAct: \r\n Provided that when the purpose for which the property was requis itioned has \r\nbeen served it may, at his request be returned to the owner after the compensation \r\npaid to him has been refunded by him less the depreciation charges. \r\n (4) The Relief Commissioner may, in addition to any other action \r\nprescribed by or under this Act, use or cause to be used such force as may, in his \r\nopinion, be reasonably necessary for securing compliance with or giving effect to or \r\npreventing any contravention of an order passed or for the effective exercise of a \r\npower exercisable under this Act. \r\n5. Requisition of services of Government officials .– The Relief \r\nCommissioner may, for the purposes of this Act, directly requisition the services of \r\nany employee of the Government within the calamity-affected area, after consultation \r\nwith the official su perior of his Department, as far as practicable, and the person to \r\nwhom the requisition is addressed shall comply with it as if it were an order passed \r\nby the Government or, as the case may be, by his official superiors. \r\n6. Punishment and procedure .– (1) A ny person who fails to comply with an \r\norder passed by the Relief Commissioner or any other person authorised to pass an \r\norder under this Act or the rules thereunder shall be deemed to have disobeyed a \r\ndirection so as to be liable for punishment under secti on 188 of the Pakistan Penal \r\nCode, 1860\r\n3\r\n. \r\n \r\n1Substituted for semi -colon by th e West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of \r\n1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 6(ii). \r\n2Added by the Act ibid. \r\n3XLV of 1860. \r\n (2) Nothing in sub -section (1) shall debar a competent authority from \r\ntaking disciplinary action against an employee of the Government who has failed to \r\nobey a lawful order passed under this Act or the rules thereunder. \r\n (3) Every offence punishable under this Act shall, within the meaning of \r\nthe Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898\r\n1\r\n, be cognizable and may be tried in \r\naccordance with the procedure prescribed by that Code for summary trials. \r\n7. Delegation of powers.– \r\n2\r\n[(1) The Relief Commissioner may in areas declared \r\nas calamity-affected under section 3, by an order in writing, direct that all or any of \r\nhis powers under this Act, shall in relation to such matters, and subject to such \r\nconditions, if any, as may be specified in the order, also be exercised by such officer, \r\nnot below the rank of a Gazetted Officer, as may be specified in the order.] \r\n (2) The Relief Commissioner and the officers to whom all or any of his \r\npowers have been delegated under sub -section (1) shall be public servants within \r\nthe meaning of section 21 of the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860\r\n3\r\n. \r\n8. Revision.– (1) Any order passed under this Act by the Relief Commissioner, \r\nshall be subject to revision by the Government, and the Relief Commissioner shall \r\ngive effect to the orders of the Government made in revision. \r\n \r\n4\r\n[Provided that no order in revision shall be passed without giving to the party \r\nto be affected thereby an opportunity of being heard.] \r\n (2) The Government shall, by rules, prescribe the class of cases and the \r\nmanner in which and the time within which orders made under this Act shall be liable \r\nto revision by the Government. \r\n9. Power to give effect to order .– If in any case it is not possible to serve an \r\norder under this Act on any person without defeati ng the object of the order or if the \r\nperson to whom the order is addressed fails to comply with it, the Relief \r\nCommissioner may, after recording the reason for doing so, give effect to the order \r\nand for that purpose may take such steps or pass such order w ith regard to any \r\nproperty as he considers necessary. \r\n10. Bar to action .– No order made under this Act shall be called in question in \r\nany court and no civil or criminal proceeding shall be instituted against any person \r\nfor anything done or purported to hav e been done, or intended to be done in good \r\nfaith under this Act or against any person for any loss or damage caused to, or in \r\nrespect of any property whereof possession has been taken or which has otherwise \r\nbeen dealt with under this Act. \r\n11. Rules.– (1) The Government shall, as soon as may be, make rules for the \r\npurpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this Act. \r\n \r\n1V of 1898. \r\n2Substituted for semi -colon by the West Pakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Act, 1964 (X of \r\n1964), published in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated March 19, 1964, pp. 889-890, s. 7. \r\n3XLV of 1860. \r\n4Added by the Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Ordinance , 19 85 (XV of 1985), vide No. \r\nLegis.3(15)/85, published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated February 23, 1985, s. 2. \r\n (2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the power \r\nconferred by sub-section (1), the Government may, by rules, prov ide for all or any of \r\nthe following matters, namely:– \r\n(a) the procedure to be adopted in giving alarm of an impending calamity; \r\n(b) the method of securing information with regard to flood or any other \r\nimpending calamity; \r\n(c) the measures and precautions to be taken to avert any such calamity; \r\n(d) the procedure to be followed for survey of places of safety and the \r\nentry into any such place for the purpose of such survey after a proper \r\nnotice; \r\n(e) the method of assessment and payment of compensation on accoun t \r\nof requisition and acquisition of property under this Act; and \r\n(f) the procedure with regard to revisions against an order passed under \r\nthis Act and the period during which such revisions can be presented. \r\n (3) The rules made under this Act shall be laid on the table of the \r\nProvincial Assembly during the session of the Assembly next following and may be \r\nrescinded or modified by a resolution of the Assembly. \r\n12. Repeal.– The Punjab National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1951\r\n1\r\n \r\n2\r\n[, the Khairpur Nat ional Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Act, 1954] and the West \r\nPakistan National Calamities (Prevention and Relief) Ordinance, 1956\r\n3\r\n, are hereby \r\nrepealed. \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n1Punjab III of 1952. \r\n2Added by the West Pakistan National Calamit ies (Prevention and Relief) (Amendment) Ordinance, 195 9 (XLVII of 1959), \r\npublished in the Gazette of West Pakistan (Extraordinary), dated August 29, 1959, pp. 775-776, s. 2. \r\n3W.P. Ordinance XI of 1956.", "passage_offset_convention": "zero-based Unicode code points and UTF8 bytes; end exclusive", "passages": [ { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-0-1758:84e1087aa505267c291d9d831e1ed67e62c9b955fb37236d59d7be331192a15f", "character_start": 0, "character_end": 1758, "utf8_byte_start": 0, "utf8_byte_end": 1782, "passage_sha256": "84e1087aa505267c291d9d831e1ed67e62c9b955fb37236d59d7be331192a15f", "reader_fragment": "p-0-1758-84e1087aa505267c" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-1758-3540:25a69932dfeaabdbc80bf9544c3e7fe12a2127e1a97ffdae7bed08d842a1c03a", "character_start": 1758, "character_end": 3540, "utf8_byte_start": 1782, "utf8_byte_end": 3576, "passage_sha256": "25a69932dfeaabdbc80bf9544c3e7fe12a2127e1a97ffdae7bed08d842a1c03a", "reader_fragment": "p-1758-3540-25a69932dfeaabdb" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-3540-5321:daf38f9d95a85e64c455f62313729e63a746f4796a2c3418b9117f0507406c6e", "character_start": 3540, "character_end": 5321, "utf8_byte_start": 3576, "utf8_byte_end": 5365, "passage_sha256": "daf38f9d95a85e64c455f62313729e63a746f4796a2c3418b9117f0507406c6e", "reader_fragment": "p-3540-5321-daf38f9d95a85e64" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-5321-7082:8c9d3d9863d4609486cb14537ba407d9ea24eca7b20c6b5dde03e08c200d696d", "character_start": 5321, "character_end": 7082, "utf8_byte_start": 5365, "utf8_byte_end": 7132, "passage_sha256": "8c9d3d9863d4609486cb14537ba407d9ea24eca7b20c6b5dde03e08c200d696d", "reader_fragment": "p-5321-7082-8c9d3d9863d46094" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-7082-8872:507ee2c97eb3c90e59fbd8bc7b53c99f97b7d6e83a4fca420284f04d0ad85f7d", "character_start": 7082, "character_end": 8872, "utf8_byte_start": 7132, "utf8_byte_end": 8924, "passage_sha256": "507ee2c97eb3c90e59fbd8bc7b53c99f97b7d6e83a4fca420284f04d0ad85f7d", "reader_fragment": "p-7082-8872-507ee2c97eb3c90e" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-8872-10670:5b2f99dff532cc0a35199a3599d3f6c24531b9dafdc488b5544f7b201eb80af4", "character_start": 8872, "character_end": 10670, "utf8_byte_start": 8924, "utf8_byte_end": 10726, "passage_sha256": "5b2f99dff532cc0a35199a3599d3f6c24531b9dafdc488b5544f7b201eb80af4", "reader_fragment": "p-8872-10670-5b2f99dff532cc0a" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-10670-12374:ad21fd5363f532f0bf126b296df52506caf1a75f6aa4f9e9e301560cad21fdf1", "character_start": 10670, "character_end": 12374, "utf8_byte_start": 10726, "utf8_byte_end": 12438, "passage_sha256": "ad21fd5363f532f0bf126b296df52506caf1a75f6aa4f9e9e301560cad21fdf1", "reader_fragment": "p-10670-12374-ad21fd5363f532f0" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-12374-14116:e8711b75309229d9dabbd5137a52dd600e90b02d29e57702afdb1d1932aaad7b", "character_start": 12374, "character_end": 14116, "utf8_byte_start": 12438, "utf8_byte_end": 14184, "passage_sha256": "e8711b75309229d9dabbd5137a52dd600e90b02d29e57702afdb1d1932aaad7b", "reader_fragment": "p-12374-14116-e8711b75309229d9" }, { "passage_id": "law:punjab-code-d9bfec9bb88472dc:sha256:70ebbf57de9661d3834090a7b843f78a0f50b520d09935a2dd8b20f0b86a1f4b:chars-14116-14595:22a54aa16083abca88cbf04a99c193b86795937f62e73f303036ce2b2e009798", "character_start": 14116, "character_end": 14595, "utf8_byte_start": 14184, "utf8_byte_end": 14663, "passage_sha256": "22a54aa16083abca88cbf04a99c193b86795937f62e73f303036ce2b2e009798", "reader_fragment": "p-14116-14595-22a54aa16083abca" } ] }