Laws Local Extent Act, 1874

This is a very old and largely historical statute, from 1874, that originally declared which parts of the country certain older British Indian-era Acts and Regulations applied to, and consolidated related provisions. Section 2 defines 'Scheduled Districts' as the territories listed in the Sixth Schedule, which named certain districts of the Punjab and the North West Frontier Province, along with the whole of Sindh. Section 3 states that the Acts listed in the First Schedule, covering subjects such as interest, registration of ships, navigation laws, protection of judicial officers, mesne profits, executors and administrators, marriage of Hindu widows, registration of societies, and common carriers, are in force throughout Pakistan except in the Scheduled Districts.

Sections 4 through 7, which originally dealt with similar provisions for a Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth Schedule (covering old Madras, Bombay, Bengal and North-Western Provinces regulations), have all since been omitted by later amendments, reflecting how much of this Act's original content is now historical rather than operative.

Section 8 preserves several things: the government's separate power to extend any First Schedule Act to a new place; any other law's power to extend itself; the effect of laws already extended to the Scheduled Districts; and it clarifies the Act does not revive any repealed law or affect any law not mentioned in one of its schedules. Given its age and the fact that most of its original schedules have been omitted over time, this Act is now of narrow, largely historical relevance, and current applicability should be checked against the official text.