Manoeuvres, Field Firing and Artillery Practice Act, 1938

This 1938 Act gives the Federal Government legal authority to let the military carry out training exercises -- both general "manoeuvres" and live "field firing and artillery practice" -- on land across Pakistan, while setting out safeguards and compensation for affected landowners and residents.

Chapter I covers manoeuvres. The Federal Government can authorise military manoeuvres over a specified area for up to a set period by Gazette notification, but must first give six weeks' public notice before the notification takes effect (Section 2). During the authorised period, military forces may pass over, encamp on, build temporary structures on, and draw water from the area (Section 3), but they cannot enter or interfere with religiously sacred sites, places of worship, burial grounds, dwelling houses, schools, factories, or gardens (Section 3(2)). The officer in command must restore the land to its previous condition as soon as practicable (Section 4), and anyone who suffers damage or interference with their rights is entitled to compensation from the Defence budget (Section 5), assessed on the spot by a Revenue Officer, with a right to appeal to a commission chaired by the district Collector (Section 6). Deliberately obstructing manoeuvres or trespassing on a camp is an offence punishable by a fine of up to one thousand rupees (Section 7).

Chapter II covers field firing and artillery practice, which involves live ammunition and so has extra rules. The Federal Government can declare a "notified area" for such practice (Section 9), and give six weeks' advance public notice including via newspaper, beat of drum, and posted notices in the local language before it begins. The Officer Commanding can declare part of the area a "danger zone" during firing, requiring the Collector to clear people and animals from it (Section 10), and a separate provision (Section 10A, added later) lets the Government declare a permanent danger zone around a fixed "classification range" (small-arms firing range), restricting construction there; violating these restrictions is punishable with imprisonment up to three months, a fine up to five thousand rupees, or both (Section 12(2)). Ordinary interference offences under this chapter carry the same fine of up to one thousand rupees as under Chapter I (Section 12(1)).

This is an old law (1938) that has been amended multiple times -- in 1956, 1962, 1975, 1981, and 1985 according to the footnotes -- including changes to the fine amounts (originally lower, later increased). Readers should verify current penalty figures against the latest official text.