GENERAL STATISTICS ACT, 1975 (LXIX OF 1975)

CONTENTS
1. #. '. ). 5. +. 7. .. 9. 12. 11. 1#. 1'. 1). 15. 1+. 17. 1.. 19. #2. #1. Short title an !o""en!e"ent $e%inition& Stati&ti!al Co(n!il F(n!tion& o% the Co(n!il Stati&ti!& A(thorit* Co",etent A(thorit* Stati&ti!al A-ent& For"(lation o% /(e&tionnaire et! 0o1er to !all %or ret(rn an in%or"ation Ri-ht o% a!!e&& to re&!ore or o!("ent Se!re!* o% an&1er&, in%or"ation an ret(rn& 0enalt* %or re%(&al o% an&1er /(e&tion&, et! 0enalt* o% o3&tr(!tin- &tati&ti!al a-ent, et! 0enalt* %or -i4in- or %(rni&hin- %al&e an&1er& in%or"ation or ret(rn& 0enalt* %or i",ro,er i&!lo&(re o% in%or"ation et! 0ro&e!(tion (n er other la1 San!tion %or the ,ro&e!(tion 5(ri& i!tion A!t not to a(thori6e !olle!tion o% !ertain in%or"ation or &tati&ti!& 0o1er to "a7e r(le& 0o1er o% Fe eral Stati&ti!& A(thorit* to i&&(e ire!tion&

TEXT
GENERAL STATISTICS ACT, 1975 (LXIX OF 1975) [17th November, 1975] An A!t to constitute certain authorities for the collection and coordination of statistics facilitate economic and other planning. 89EREAS it is expedient to constitute certain authorities for the collection and coordination of statistics to facilitate economic and other planning and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto: It is hereby enacted as follows:1. Short title an !o""en!e"ent.: 1. This Act may be called the General 1"#$ %. It extends to the whole of &a'istan tatistics Act!

(. It shall come into force on such date as the )ederal Government may! by notification in the official ga*ette! appoint. #. $e%inition&.: In this Act! unless there is anything repugnant in the sub+ect or context:,a.appropriate Government/ means:,iin relation to the )ederal tatistics Authority or any matter relating to the collection and compilation of statistics for the whole of &a'istan! the )ederal Government! and ,iiin relation to the &rovincial tatistics Authority or any matter relating to the collection and compilation of tatistics for a &rovince or a part thereof the &rovincial Government. ,b,c,d.competent authority/ means an authority of office appointed under section 0 to be a competent authority. .1ouncil/ means the 2ational tatistical 1ouncil or the &rovincial tatistical 1ouncil constituted under ection (. .establishment/ means a shop! commercial establishment! industrial establishment! firm ! company! private dispensary! maternity home! residential hotel! restaurant! eating house! caf3! cinema! theater! circus or the place of public amusement or entertainment and such other establishment or class thereof as the )ederal Government may! by notification in the official ga*ette! declare to be an establishment for the purpose of this Act. .prescribed/ means prescribed by rules made under this Act. .statistical agent/ means any agency! authority or officer! appointed for! or engaged in! the collection of statistics under this Act! and . tatistics Authority/ means the )ederal tatistics Authority or a &rovincial tatistics Authority appointed under ection $.

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'. Stati&ti!al Co(n!il.: (1- )or the whole of &a'istan the )ederal Government! and for a &rovincial Government and a &rovincial tatistical 1ouncil consisting of such members including a chairman! as it may appoint. ,%The 1hairman and members of the 1ouncil shall hold office during the pleasure of! and on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the appropriate Government. ,(). ,aThe 1ouncil shall regulate its own procedure. to coordinate the functions of the tatistics Authorities competent authorities and to advise them as to the ways and means of achieving efficient! ade4uate and prompt results. F(n!tion& o% the Co(n!il.: The following shall be functions of the 1ouncil:-

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to approve of the priorities for filling gaps in statistical data and! for that purpose! to allocate functions to the tatistics Authorities. to draw up schemes for avoiding duplication in the formulation and execution of statistical programmes and to resolve differences in that respect. to ma'e competent advice and guidance available to tatistics Authorities! competent authorities and statistical agents in the matter of large-scale statistical operations and pro+ects. to ensure economic and efficient utili*ation of field services! machine tabulation e4uipment and other scarce resources. to promote research and training in statistics! and to perform such other functions as the appropriate Government may! from time to time! direct.

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5. Stati&ti!& A(thorit*.: (1- )or the whole of &a'istan the )ederal Government! and for a province the &rovincial Government! may! by notification in the official ga*ette! appoint an officer to be called respectively the )ederal tatistics Authority and the &rovincial tatistics Authority. ,%A tatistics Authority shall! in accordance with such instructions as the 1ouncil may! from time to time give! perform the following functions! namely:,a,b,c,d,e,f,g,h,idrawing up specific statistical programmes to carryout the instructions of the 1ouncil. appraising the 4uality of all statistics of national or regional importance. lying down and approving forms and procedure for statistical en4uiries and ensuring against any duplication and substandard data collection. standardi*ation of concepts and definitions relating to statistics. giving of! advice and guidance to! and coordinating the functions of the competent authority and the statistical agents. ma'ing of recommendations to the 1ouncil relating to the standards of training of statisticians and statistical agents. laying down the procedure for a continuing programme of in service institutional and foreign training. periodical review of statistical progress on the basis of reports obtained from the competent authorities and the statistical agents. giving of advice to the )ederal Government! the &rovincial Government and other authorities or persons on the use and relevance of available statistics in relation to specific problem of economic policy. identification of gaps in the 2ational! &rovincial or 5egional statistical series and submission for the consideration of the 1ouncil of proposals relating to the order of priority in filling such gaps. appraisal and allocation of technical resources re4uired for statistical pro+ects. compilation and publication of data of general nature for national and international reference! and such other functions as the appropriate Government may! from time to time! direct.

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+. Co",etent A(thorit*.: (1- The appropriate Government may! for the purpose of collection and compilation of statistics on any matter! appoint any authority or officer to be a competent authority for the purposes of this Act. ,%- In the exercise of its powers and performance of its functions under this Act! a competent authority shall be sub+ect to the superintendence! direction and control of the tatistics Authority appointed by the same appropriate Government by which it has been appointed. 7. Stati&ti!al A-ent&.: The appropriate Government! and! if so empowered by the appropriate Government! a tatistics Authority and a competent authority! may! for the purpose of collection of statistics or information under this Act! appoint or engage such officers or persons as it may thin' fit.

.. For"(lation o% /(e&tionnaire et!.: (1- )or the purpose of collecting statistics on any matter! a tatistics Authority may! by notification in the official ga*ette! formulate such 4uestionnaires as it may thin' fit! and a competent authority or a statistical agent appointed for the collection of such statistics! may re4uire any person within its +urisdiction to give answers to such 4uestionnaire and to elicit full answers to the 4uestionnaire. ,%Any person who is re4uired to give answers to a 4uestionnaire and other relevant 4uestions under sub-section ,1- shall give answers to the best of his 'nowledge and belief. ,(2othing in this section shall authori*e a tatistics Authority! a competent authority or a statistical agent:,a,bto re4uire a woman to state the name of her husband or deceased husband or any other person whose name she is by custom forbidden to mention! or to insist on information of a purely private nature.

9. 0o1er to !all %or ret(rn an in%or"ation.: 6ithout pre+udice to the provisions of section 7! a competent authority may! for the purpose of collecting statistics for which it has been appointed! serve or cause to be served on any person! by post or otherwise a notice re4uiring him to furnish to such authority or person in such manner! at such time or intervals and in such form and with such particulars! such information or returns as may be prescribed and a person served with such notice shall accordingly furnish information or returns re4uired thereby. 12. Ri-ht o% a!!e&& to re!or or o!("ent.: ,1- A tatistical agent shall! for the purpose of collection of statistics for which he has been appointed! have access to any relevant record or document in the possession of any person re4uired to furnish information or return under ection " and may! at any reasonable time after due notice! enter any premises! house! vessel or other place wherein he believes such record or document to be and as' any person any 4uestion necessary for obtaining any information re4uired to be furnished by such person. ,%8very person owing or occupying any premises! house! vessel or land shall allow a statistical agent such access thereto as he may reasonably re4uired for the purpose of collection of statistics for which he has been appointed and shall allow him to paint on! affix to or dig in the premises! house! vessel or land such letters! mar's or ob+ects as may be necessary for such purpose. 11. Se!re!* o% an&1er&, in%or"ation an ret(rn&.: All answers to the 4uestions received and all information and returns furnished under this Act shall be confidential 9 shall not be:,a,b,cused for any purpose other than compilation of statistics under this Act. &ublish in a form which may disclose the state of affairs of any particulars individual! firm or institution. :ivulged! except with the return consent of the person answering the 4uestion or furnishing the information or return! to any person not connected officially with the en4uiry in relation to which the said answers! information or returns have been called for. accessible to the inspection of any person otherwise than for the purpose of prosecution for contravention of the provisions of this Act! or :isclosed to any person or used or! notwithstanding anything contained in the 8vidence Act! 17#% be admissible in evidence in any proceedings to which the person giving the answer or furnishing the information or return is a party! except for the purpose of prosecution for contravention of the provisions of this Act.

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1#. 0enalt* %or re%(&al o% an&1er /(e&tion&, et!.: 6hoever! after he has been given due notice to answer any 4uestionnaire or to furnish any information or returns under this Act! willfully and without lawful excuse! refuses or fail to answer! to the best of his 'nowledge and belief! such 4uestionnaire or other relevant 4uestions as'ed of him by a statistical agent which he is legally bound to answer! or to furnish such information or returns! within the period specified in the notice or within the period allowed in a further notice which shall be given to him by the authority which gave him the earlier notice! shall be punishable with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees and! in the case of an establishment! with a further fine which may extend to two hundred rupees for every day after the first! during which the offence continues. 1'. 0enalt* o% o3&tr(!tin- &tati&ti!al a-ent, et!.: 6hoever! refuses a statistical agent any right of access conferred by ection 1; or willfully obstructs him in the discharge of his duties under this Act or! before the collection of information or statistics for which any letter! mar' or

ob+ect pained! affixed or dug on! to or in any premises! house! vessel or land! or! without lawful authority! removes! obliterates! alters or damages such letter! mar' or ob+ect! shall be punishable. In the case of an establishment! with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both! and 1). 0enalt* %or -i4in- or %(rni&hin- %al&e an&1er& in%or"ation or ret(rn&.: 6hoever! willfully gives a false answer to a 4uestionnaire or other relevant 4uestion or furnishes or causes to be furnished any information or return which he 'nows to be false shall be punishable with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees in the case of an establishment and five hundred rupees in any other case. 15. 0enalt* %or i",ro,er i&!lo&(re o% in%or"ation et!.: 6hoever! being engaged for or in connection with the collection of statistics under this Act! willfully discloses otherwise than in the discharge of his duties for the purposes of prosecution for contravention of any of the provisions of this Act! any answer to a 4uestionnaire! or any information or the contents of any return! given or furnished under this Act! shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months! or with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees or with both. 1+. 0ro&e!(tion (n er other la1.: 2othing in this Act shall be deemed to prevent any person from being prosecuted under any other law for the time being in force for any act or omission which constitutes an offence under such other law. 17. San!tion %or the ,ro&e!(tion.: 2o prosecution for an offence under this Act! or for an act or omission which constitutes an offence under any other law! shall be instituted except with the previous sanction of the appropriate Government or of a person authori*ed by it in this behalf. 1.. 5(ri& i!tion.: 2o court inferior to that of a <agistrate of the Ist 1lass shall try an offence under this Act. 19. A!t not to a(thori6e !olle!tion o% !ertain in%or"ation or &tati&ti!&.: 2othing in this Act shall authori*e the collection of statistics or of any information relating to any wor' of defence! arsenal! navel! military or air force establishment or any other defence factory! installation or establishment. #2. 0o1er to "a7e r(le&.: The appropriate Government may ma'e rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act. #1. 0o1er o% Fe eral Stati&ti!& A(thorit* to i&&(e ire!tion&.: 2otwithstanding anything contained in any other law for the time being in force! which provides for the collection of statistics! )ederal tatistics Authority may issue to any other authority functioning under any such law such directions as it may consider necessary for the purposes of this Act.