Private Military Organizations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1973

The Private Military Organisations (Abolition and Prohibition) Act, 1973 (Act IV of 1974, despite the 1973 short title) implements the constitutional ban on private armies. Section 1 says it extends to the whole of Pakistan and came into force at once. The preamble explains that Article 256 of the Constitution prohibits any private organisation capable of functioning as a military organisation and declares such an organisation illegal, and this Act was needed to abolish such organisations and set a penalty for forming one.

Section 2 lets the Federal Government, where satisfied that a private organisation is capable of functioning as a military organisation in violation of Article 256, declare by Gazette notification that it stands abolished, while specifying the grounds — though the Government need not disclose facts it considers against the public interest. An organisation is treated as "capable of functioning as a military organisation" if it is organised, trained, or equipped so as to be usable for the use or display of physical force in pursuit of any objective.

Section 3 sets the punishment: anyone who forms, organises, trains, or equips such an organisation, or who is a member, adherent, or participant in one — including one specifically banned by Government notification under Section 2 — is punishable with imprisonment for up to five years, plus a fine. Section 4 lets the Federal Government make rules to carry out the Act's purposes; Section 5 was later omitted by a 1981 revision ordinance.

This remains a substantive criminal-law statute directly implementing a constitutional prohibition, though as with any older law, the current official text should be checked for further amendments.