PUNJAB INFORMATION OF TEMPORARY RESIDENTS ACT 2015

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THE PUNJAB INFORMATION OF TEMPORARY RESIDENTS 
ACT 2015  
(VIII of 2015) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Information to police 
4. Guests other than students and staff 
5. Identification of tenants and guests 
6. Use of information 
7. Inspection and interviews 
8. Firearms and explosives 
9. Change of timelines 
10. Assistance to police 
11. Penalties 
12. Cognizance and summary trial 
13. Compounding of offence 
14. Annual report 
15. In addition to other laws 
16. Power to make rules 
17. Repeal 
 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB INFORMATION OF TEMPORARY RESIDENTS ACT 2015  
(VIII of 2015) 
[10th March, 2015] 
An 
Act 
to provide for sharing of information of tenants and other temporary residents. 
WHEREAS it is expedient to obtain information about tenants and other 
temporary residents; to develop a database of such persons; to effectively combat 
terrorism and other crimes; to use such information for investigation and prosecution 
of certain offences; and, to provide for ancillary matters; 
It is enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title, extent and commencement .– (1) This Act may be cited as the 
Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Act 2015. 
(2) It extends to whole of the Punjab. 
(3) It shall come into force at once.  
2. Definitions.– In this Act: 
(a) “Code” means the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 (V of 1898); 
(b) “Government” means Government of the Punjab; 
(c) “guest” means a person who is in possession or enjoyment of lodging, 
or board and lodging at a hotel  or a hostel except an employee of the 
hotel or hostel; 
(d) “hostel” means a premises where residential accommodation is offered 
for rent or any other consideration but shall not include a rented 
premises or a hotel or a hostel exclusively managed and controll ed by 
an organization or institution and which is being exclusively used for 
the residence of the enrolled students or staff of such organization or 
institution; 
(e) “hotel” means a premises meant for lodging, or board and lodging 
offered to guests for monetar y consideration or otherwise and includes 
a guest house, resort, motel, inn or sarai but shall not include a rented 
premises or a hostel; 
(f) “landlord” means the owner of the premises let out for residential 
purpose or which may be used as a temporary place o f abode and 
includes a lessor or a person who is entitled or authorized to receive 
rent, lease amount, charges or any other monetary consideration;  
                                                           
1This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 04 March 2015; assented to by the Governor of the  Punjab on 09 March 
2015; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 10.3.2015, pages 2803-2806. 
(g) “manager” means a person who is employed or authorized by the 
owner or landlord for the management of a hotel or a hostel; 
(h) “police” means the police constituted under the Police Order, 2002 
(C.E. Order No. 22 of 2002); 
(i) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under the Act; 
(j) “property dealer” means the property dealer who deals in the rented 
premises or hostels for monetary consideration; 
(k) “rented premises” means a building or part of a building which is let out 
for residential purpose or which may be used as a temporary place of 
abode but shall not include a hotel or a hostel; and 
(l) “tenant” means the occupa nt of a rented premises and includes a 
lessee or a sub-tenant. 
3. Information to police .– (1) Subject to subsection (3), the property dealer, 
landlord and  tenant shall, within fifteen days from the time of delivery of possession 
of the rented premises to the tenant, provide information about the tenant in the 
prescribed manner to the police through the fastest means of communication. 
(2) The owner or manager shall, within twenty four hours from the time of 
arrival or check in of a guest, provide informatio n about the guest in the prescribed 
manner to the police through the fastest means of communication. 
(3) If one of the persons mentioned in subsection (1) or subsection (2) 
provides the requisite information, the other concurrently responsible persons shal l 
not be liable for non-provision of the information to the police. 
4. Guests other than students and staff .– (1) A person, not being student or 
staff of an organization or institution, shall not stay at a hostel exclusively managed 
and controlled by the o rganization or institution without prior permission in writing of 
the manager. 
(2) The manager shall, within twenty four hours from the time he receives 
information about stay of a person mentioned in subsection (1), provide information 
in the prescribed manner about the particulars of the person to the police through the 
fastest means of communication.   
5. Identification of tenants and guests .– (1) The landlord, manager or 
property dealer shall not allow any tenant or guest to stay at the rented premises,  
hostel or hotel unless he is satisfied about the identification of the tenant or the guest 
on the basis the computerized national identity card or passport of such tenant or 
guest.  
(2) The landlord, manager or property dealer shall obtain a copy of the 
computerized national identity card or passport of the tenant or the guest and shall 
provide such copy to the police at the earliest. 
6. Use of information .– (1) The police shall maintain a database of all the 
tenants and guests by categorizing them in the prescribed manner.  
(2) The police shall conduct analysis of the data for prevention, detection 
and investigation of offences.  
(3) The information received under this Act shall not be used for any 
purpose other than prevention, detection, investigation an d prosecution of offences 
of terrorism and other offences under the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 (XLV of 1860).  
7. Inspection and interviews .– (1) A police officer not below the rank of Sub -
Inspector may, subject to a reasonable notice and for purposes of this Act:  
(a) inspect a rented premises, hostel or hotel; and 
(b) obtain necessary information from the relevant documents and persons 
including landlord, tenant, manager, guest or property dealer. 
(2) The police shall ensure compliance of this Act through spot inspections 
and local verifications.  
8. Firearms and explosives .– (1) The landlord, manager and the property 
dealer shall ensure that the tenant or guest is not carrying or in possession of a 
firearm or any explosives other than a licensed weapon.  
(2) The owner or manager of a hostel or hotel shall keep an entry of any 
licensed weapon being carried by a guest and provide such information to the police 
in the prescribed manner.  
9. Change of timelines .– The Government may, by notification in the offic ial 
Gazette, extend the timelines provided for provision of information to the police 
under this Act for any category of persons, rented premises, hostels or hotels.   
10. Assistance to police .– A police officer not below the rank of Deputy 
Superintendent of Police may call for the information about the ownership or title of a 
rented premises or a hostel from any relevant office, body or authority maintaining 
record of rights, transfer deeds or other title documents.  
11. Penalties.– If a person knowingly contravenes the provision of section 3, 4, 5 
or 8 or fails to allow access to premises or provide information to the police under 
section 7 or section 10, he shall be liable to punishment of imprisonment which may 
extend to six months and fine which shall n ot be less than ten thousand rupees or 
more than one hundred thousand rupees.  
12. Cognizance and summary trial .– (1) An offence under this Act shall be 
cognizable and non-bailable.  
(2) A Magistrate of the first class shall conduct the trial of an offence  under 
this Act in accordance with the provisions of Chapter XXII of the Code relating to the 
summary trials. 
13. Compounding of offence.– (1) Subject to subsection (2), the Government or 
an officer of the Government specifically authorized in this behalf may, at any stage, 
compound an offence under this Act subject to the deposit of administrative penalty 
which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees.  
(2) The offence under this Act shall not be compoundable if the accused 
had been previously convicted under the Act or his previous offence had been 
compounded by the Government or the officer authorized by the Government.  
14. Annual report .– (1) Every Head of District Police shall send a monthly 
implementation report to the Government under this Act. 
(2) The Government shall, before 31 March each year, submit a 
consolidated implementation annual report in the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab 
relating to the preceding year containing summary of the activities and 
recommendations for implementation of the Act. 
15. In addition to other laws .– The provision of this Act shall be in addition to 
and not in derogation of any other law. 
16. Power to make rules .– The Government may, by notification in the official 
Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. 
17. Repeal.– The Punjab Information of Temporary Residents Ordinance, 2015 (II 
of 2015) is hereby repealed.