Part XII · Miscellaneous · Transitional
Affirmation of President’s Orders, etc
Article 270A
Amended by 8th Amendment (1985) · 18th Amendment (2010)
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The Proclamation of the fifth day of July, 1977, all President’s Orders, Ordinances, Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders, including the Referendum Order, 1984 (P.O. No. 11 of 1984), 3* * * the Revival of the Constitution of 1973 Order, 1985 (P.O. No. 14 of 1985), the Constitution (Second Amendment) Order, 1985 (P.O. No. 20 of 1985), the Constitution (Third Amendment) Order, 1985 (P.O. No. 24 of 1985), and all other laws made between the fifth day of July, 1977, and the date* on which this Article comes into force are hereby affirmed, adopted and declared, notwithstanding any judgement of any court, to have been validly made by competent authority and, notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, shall not be called in question in any court on any ground whatsoever :
Provided that a President’s Order, Martial Law Regulation or Martial Law Order made after the thirtieth day of September, 1985, shall be confined only to making such provisions as facilitate, or are incidental to, the revocation of the Proclamation of the fifth day of July, 1977.
All orders made, proceedings taken and acts done by any authority or by any person, which were made, taken or done, or purported to have been made, taken or done, between the fifth day of July, 1977, and the date on which this Article comes into force, in exercise of the powers derived from any Proclamation, President’s Orders, Ordinances, Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders, enactments, notifications, rules, orders or bye-laws, or in execution of or in compliance with any order made or sentence passed by any authority in the exercise or purported exercise of powers as aforesaid, shall, notwithstanding any judgement of any court, be deemed to be and always to have been validly made, taken or done and shall not be called in question in any court on any ground whatsoever.
All President’s Orders, Ordinances, Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders, enactments, notifications, rules, orders, or bye-laws, in force immediately before the date* on which this Article comes into force shall continue in force until altered, repealed or amended by competent authority.
Explanation.–In this clause, ‘‘competent authority’’ means,––
in respect of President’s Orders, Ordinances, Martial Law Regulations, Martial Law Orders and enactments, the appropriate Legislature; and
in respect of notifications, rules, orders and bye-laws, the authority in which the power to make, alter, repeal or amend the same vests under the law.
No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie in any court against any authority or any person, for or on account of or in respect of any order made, proceedings taken or act done whether in the exercise or purported exercise of the powers referred to in clause (2) or in execution of or in compliance with orders made or sentences passed in exercise or purported exercise of such powers.
For the purposes of clauses (1), (2) and (4), all orders made, proceedings taken, acts done or purporting to be made, taken or done by any authority or person shall be deemed to have been made, taken or done in good faith and for the purpose intended to be served thereby.
The laws referred to in clause (1) may be amended by the appropriate Legislature in the manner provided for amendment of such laws].]