Pakistan Plant Quarantine Act, 1976

This 1976 Act implements Pakistan's obligations under the International Plant Protection Convention, 1951, by giving the Federal Government power to control the import of anything that could bring plant pests or diseases into the country. Section 2 defines key terms broadly -- "import" covers not just cross-border entry but also transport between provinces, and "pest" covers insects, fungi, bacteria, viruses and other organisms that could damage crops or plants.

Section 3 lets the Federal Government, by official notification, prohibit, restrict or otherwise regulate the import of any article or class of articles likely to spread infection to crops or plants, or of pests generally. Conditions attached to such a notification can require compliance with the Convention, examination of goods by authorised officers, certificates of non-infection, or treatment, detention, confiscation and destruction of infected goods. Section 4 ties this into the customs system: a notification under Section 3 operates as if issued under Section 16 of the Customs Act, 1969, giving customs officers the same powers over these goods as over any other prohibited import.

Section 5 requires anyone responsible for booking goods for transport (at ports, railway stations, airports, etc.) to refuse to carry anything whose import has been prohibited, or to demand proof that import conditions have been met. Section 6 sets the penalty for violations: a fine up to five hundred rupees for a first offence, and on a repeat conviction, imprisonment up to six months or a fine up to two thousand rupees, or both -- in addition to whatever confiscation or penalty applies under the Customs Act. Section 7 requires a written complaint from an authorised officer before any court can take up a case, and Section 8 protects officials acting in good faith from being sued.

Section 9 allows the Federal Government to delegate its powers to provincial governments for matters relating to intra-Pakistan movement of goods, and Section 10 provides rule-making power, including setting fees. Given the low, specific fine amounts date from 1976, they should be checked against the current official text, as they are likely to have been superseded by later amendments or inflation-adjusted schedules.