Constitution

Part XII · Miscellaneous · General

Protection to President, Governor, Minister, etc

Article 248

Amended by 27th Amendment

Not sure what this means? Get it in simple words, in English and Urdu.

English · authoritative

(1)

1[Notwithstanding any judgment of any court, the] President, a Governor, the Prime Minister, a Federal Minister, a Minister of State, the Chief Minister and a Provincial Minister shall not be answerable to any court for the exercise of powers and performance of functions of their respective offices or for any act done or purported to be done in the exercise of those powers and performance of those functions:

Provided that nothing in this clause shall be construed as restricting the right of any person to bring appropriate proceedings against the Federation or a Province.

2[(2)

No criminal proceedings whatsoever shall be initiated or continued against the President for his life and for a Governor during his term of office in any court.]

3[(3)

No process for arrest or imprisonment of the President for his life and for a Governor during his term of office, shall be issued from any court:

Provided that the provisions of clauses (2) and (3) shall not apply during the period the President holds a public office after he ceases to be the President.]

(4)

No civil proceedings in which relief is claimed against the President or a Governor shall be instituted during his term of office in respect of any thing done or not done by him in his personal capacity whether before or after he enters upon his office unless, at least sixty days before the proceedings are instituted, notice in writing has been delivered to him, or sent to him in the manner prescribed by law, stating the nature of the proceedings, the cause of action, the name, description and place of residence of the party by whom the proceedings are to be instituted and the relief which the party claims.

Urdu · official translation (2018)

This article was changed after 31 May 2018. The official Urdu translation below does not include that change, so rely on the English text.

The Urdu text of this article is not available yet. It is being transcribed from the National Assembly’s official Urdu translation. Open the official Urdu PDF.
Amendment notes (3)›
  1. 1Substituted by the Constitution (Twenty-Seventh Amdt.) Act , 2025 (32 of 2025), section 52, for the word “The”.
  2. 2Substituted ibid., for “clauses (2)”.
  3. 3Substituted ibid., for “clauses (3)”.

How to cite

In a petition
Article 248 of the Constitution
With heading
Article 248 of the Constitution (Protection to President, Governor, Minister, etc)
In full
Article 248, Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973

English text as amended up to 21 November 2025 (27th Amendment), published by Ministry of Law and Justice / National Assembly of Pakistan. The English text is authoritative. Official PDF, page 180