Constitution 1973 § Article 232 — Proclamation of emergency on account of war, internal disturbance, etc

Statutory text (English)

(1) If the
President is satisfied that a grave emergency exists in which the security of Pakistan, or any part
thereof, is threatened by war or external aggression, or by internal disturbance beyond the power of a
Provincial Government to control, he may issue a Proclamation of Emergency 1[:]
1[
Provided that for imposition of emergency due to internal disturbances beyond the powers of
a Provincial Government to control, a resolution from the Provincial Assembly of that Province shall
be required:

Provided further that if the President acts on his own, the Proclamation of Emergency shall be
placed before both Houses of Majlis - e-Shoora (Parliament) for approval by each House within ten
days.]

(2) Notwithstanding anything in the Constitution, while a Proclamation of Emergency is in
force—
2[(a) Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament) shall have power to make laws for a Province, or
any part thereof, with respect to any matter not enumerated in the Federal
Legislative List 3[* * *]]
(b) the executive authority of the Federation shall extend to the giving of directions
to a Province as to the manner in which the executive authority of the Province
is to be exercised; and
(c) the Federal Government may by Order4 assume to itself, or direct the Governor
of a Province to assume on behalf of the Federal Government, all or any of the
functions of the Government of the Province, and all or any of the powers vested
in, or exercisable by, any body or authority in the Province other than the
Provincial Assembly, and make such incidental and consequential provisions as
appear to the Federal Government to be necessary or desirable for giving effect
to the objects of the Proclamation, including provisions for suspending, in
whole or in part, the operation of any provisions of the Constitution relating to
any body or authority in the Province:

Provided that nothing in paragraph (c) shall authorise the Federal Government to assume to
itself, or direct the Governor of the Province to assume on its behalf, any of the powers vested in or
exercisable by a High Court, or to suspend either in whole or in part the operation of any provisions
of the Constitution relating to High Courts.

(3) The power of 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] to make laws for a Province with respect to
any matter shall include power to make laws conferring powers and imposing duties, or authorizing
the conferring of powers and the imposition of duties upon the Federation, or officers and authorities
of the Federation, as respects that matter.

(4) Nothing in this Article shall restrict the power of a Provincial Assembly to make any law
which under the Constitution it has power to make, but if any provision of a Provincial law is repugnant
to any provision of an Act of 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] which 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)]
has under this Article power to make, the Act of 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)], whether passed
before or after the Provincial law, shall prevail and the Provincial law shall, to the extent of the
repugnancy, but so long only as the Act of 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)] continues to have effect,
be void.

(5) A law made by 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)], which 1[Majlis-e-Shoora (Parliament)]
would not but for the issue of a Proclamation of Emergency have been competent to make, shall, to
the extent of the incompetency, cease to have effect on the expiration of a period of six months after
the Proclamation of Emergency has ceased to be in force, except as respects things done or omitted to
be done before the expiration of the said period.

(6) While a Proclamation of emergency is in force, 1[Majlis-e- Shoora (Parliament)] may by
law extend the term of the National Assembly for a period not exceeding one year and not extending
in any case beyond a period of six months after the Proclamation has ceased to be in force.

(7) A Proclamation of Emergency shall be laid before a joint sitting which shall be summoned
by the President to meet within thirty days of the Proclamation being issued and—
(a) shall cease to be in force at the expiration of two months unless before the
expiration of that period it has been approved by a resolution2 of the joint sitting;
and
3[(b) shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (a), cease to be in force upon a
resolution disapproving the proclamation being passed by the votes of the
majority of the total membership of the two Houses in joint sitting.]

(8) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause

(7), if the National Assembly stands
dissolved at the time when a Proclamation of Emergency is issued, the Proclamation shall continue in
force for a period of four months but, if a general election to the Assembly is not held before the
expiration of that period, it shall cease to be in force at the expiration of that period unless it has earlier
been approved by a resolution of the Senate.

Source and verification

Source citation: Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, Art. 232: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE CONSTITUTION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN' (incl. 26th Amdt Act 2024 & 27th Amdt Act 2025), p. 117, 118, ingested 2026-09-15. Automated transcription from official source (pypdf extraction, audited artifact repair); human admin re-check required before production.

Verification status: verified · Text status: auto_transcribed_verified_source

The record cites an official source, but its transcription is automated or only partly checked; a human re-check is pending.

Official Urdu text status: pending_official_urdu_text. Where official Urdu wording has not been sourced, Qanoon does not substitute an unverified translation for the statutory text.

Historical text notes

1 historical record is linked to this section. Historical wording may be incomplete or pending verification; it is not presented as current law.

• Date not confirmed: Consolidated current text as published in the official Pakistan Code PDF (p. 117, 118) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment…

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