Constitution

Part XII · Miscellaneous · General

Oath of Office

Article 255

Amended by 26th Amendment (2024)

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

English · authoritative

(1)

An oath required to be made by a person under the Constitution shall 1[preferably be made in Urdu or] a language that is understood by that person.

(2)

Where, under the Constitution, an oath is required to be made before a specified person and, for any reason, it is impracticable for the oath to be made before that person, it may be made before such other person as may be nominated by 2[the Chief Justice of a High Court, in case of a Province and by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in all other cases].

(3)

Where, under the Constitution, a person is required to make an oath before he enters upon an office, he shall be deemed to have entered upon the office on the day on which he makes the oath.

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 (2)›
  1. 1Substituted by P. O. No. 14 of 1985, Article 2 and Schedule, for “be made in”.
  2. 2Substituted by the Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amdt.) Act, 2024 (26 of 2024), section 25 for “that person”.

How to cite

In a petition
Article 255 of the Constitution
With heading
Article 255 of the Constitution (Oath of Office)
In full
Article 255, 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 183