Removal of Accused Persons Act, 1973

This 1973 Act gives the Federal Government the power to transfer accused persons who are being held in custody in one Province of Pakistan to custody in another Province.

Section 1 confirms the law applies to all of Pakistan and took effect immediately on 15 September 1973. Section 2 is the key operative provision: it allows the Federal Government, by a general order (covering categories of people) or a special order (covering a specific person), to move any accused person or class of accused persons from custody in one Province to custody in another, overriding any other law that might otherwise apply.

Section 3 originally contained additional provisions but was later omitted entirely -- a footnote in the extract shows it was removed by the Federal Laws (Revision and Declaration) Ordinance, 1981. Because part of this Act has already been repealed and the law is over fifty years old, readers should treat the remaining provisions as subject to further amendment and check the current official text if relying on it for anything beyond the general power described here.

The Act does not specify the grounds, procedures, or safeguards for such transfers beyond the bare grant of power -- it simply establishes that the Federal Government may order the move notwithstanding any other law.