Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practitioners Act, 1965

The Unani, Ayurvedic and Homoeopathic Practitioners Act, 1965 sets up the regulatory framework for practitioners of Unani (Tib), Ayurvedic, and Homoeopathic systems of medicine in Pakistan, in a similar way to how doctors are regulated under other medical laws. Section 3 establishes two separate statutory bodies, the National Council for Tib and the National Council for Homoeopathy, each a corporate body that can sue and be sued in its own name. Section 4 sets out how the National Council for Tib is composed: it mixes government-nominated practitioners (one per province), practitioners elected by their own peers on a province-weighted basis (five from Punjab, three from Sindh, two from the former North-West Frontier Province, one from Balochistan), representatives elected by teachers at recognized institutions, and further government nominees, including a scientist.

Chapter II (Sections 17-22) covers the education side: recognizing teaching institutions, maintaining their standard of efficiency, withdrawing recognition if standards slip, setting course duration, admission qualifications, and running qualifying examinations. Chapter III (Sections 23-29) covers registering practitioners once qualified, including a separate "Category B" registration route for certain Unani and Ayurvedic practitioners and a "listing" system for certain Homoeopaths who do not go through full registration, plus rules for removing or correcting register entries. Chapter IV puts the Registrar in charge of maintaining the register and publishing lists of registered practitioners.

Part III sets out registered practitioners' rights and duties, including a duty to inform the Council of any change of address (Section 32) and an exemption from being compelled to serve on an inquest (Section 35). The following chapter creates offences: Section 37 makes it an offence for anyone not registered under the Act to practise as if they were, Section 38 targets colourable imitation of qualifications or degrees, and Section 39 prohibits using misleading professional titles or descriptions; Section 36 lists offences and penalties generally, though the specific fine or imprisonment amounts are not shown in the available extract. Section 42 allows the Federal Government to supersede (dissolve and take over) a Council if necessary, and a later-added Section 48 makes the Councils subject to Federal Government policy directions on matters the government itself decides are policy questions.

This Act has been amended many times since 1965 (Ordinances in 1966, 1978, 1979, and 1982, and a further amending Act in 2002 are all referenced in the footnotes), so anyone who needs the current, specific offence penalties or registration fee amounts should check the up-to-date official text rather than relying on this summary.