ILLEGALDISPOSSESSIONACT,2005.

LastUpdated:20050706

Contents
PREAMBLE
.
1

SHORTTITLE,EXTENTANDCOMMENCEMENT

DEFINITIONS

PREVENTIONOFILLEGALPOSSESSIONOFPROPERTY,ETC

COGNIZANCEOFOFFENCE

INVESTIGATIONANDPROCEDURE

POWERTOATTACHPROPERTY

EVICTIONANDMODEOFRECOVERYASANINTERIMRELIEF

DELIVERYOFPOSSESSIONOFPROPERTYTOOWNER,ETC

APPLICATIONOFCODE

ACTNo.XIOF2005
AnActtocurbtheactivitiesofthepropertygrabbers
WHEREASitisexpedienttoprotectthelawfulownersandoccupiersofimmovablepropertiesfromtheir
illegalorforcibledispossessiontherefrombythepropertygrabbers
1. Short title, extent and commencement. (1) This Act may be called the Illegal Dispossession Act,
2005.
(2)ItextendstothewholeofPakistan.
(3)Itshallcomeintoforceatonce.
2.Definitions.InthisAct,unlessthereisanythingrepugnantinthesubjectorcontext,__
(a)"Court"meanstheCourtofSession
(b)"Code"meanstheCodeofCriminalProcedure,1898(ActVof1898)
(c)"occupier"meansthepersonwhoisinlawfulpossessionofaproperty
(d) "owner" means the person who actually owns the property at the time of his dispossession,
otherwisethanthroughaprocessoflawand
(e)"Property"meansimmovableproperty.
3.Preventionofillegalpossessionofproperty,etc.__(1)Nooneshallenterintooruponanypropertyto
dispossess, grab, control or occupy it without having any lawful authority to do so with the intention to
dispossess,grab,controloroccupythepropertyfromownersoroccupierofsuchproperty.
(2)Whoevercontravenestheprovisionsofthesubsection(1)shall,withoutprejudiceto,anypunishment
to which he may be liable under any other law for the time being in force, be punishable with imprisonment
which may extend to ten years and with fine and the victim of the offence shall also be compensated in
accordancewiththeprovisionofsection544AoftheCode.
4.Cognizanceofoffence.__(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code or any law for the time
beinginforce,thecontraventionofsection3shallbetriablebytheCourtofSessiononacomplaint.
(2)TheoffenceunderthisActshallbenoncognizable.
(3)TheCourtatanystageoftheproceedingsmaydirectthepolicetoarresttheaccused.
5.Investigationandprocedure.__ (1) Upon a complaint the Court may direct the officerincharge of a
police station to investigate and complete the investigation and forward the same within fifteen days to the
Court:
Provided the Court may extend the time within which such report is to be forwarded in case where good
reasonsareshownfornotdoingsowithinthetimespecifiedinthissubsection.

(2) On taking cognizance of a case, the Court shall proceed with the trial from day to day and
shalldecidethecasewithinsixtydaysandforanydelay,sufficientreasonsshallberecorded.
(3)TheCourtshallnotadjournthetrialforanypurposeunlesssuchadjournmentis,initsopinion,
necessary in the interest of justice and no adjournment shall in any case be granted for more than
sevendays.
6. Power to attach property.__ (1) If the Court is satisfied that none of the persons are in
possessionimmediatelybeforethecommissionoftheoffence,theCourtmayattachthepropertyuntil
finaldecisionofthecase.
(2) In case of attachment, the methods of its management, safeguard against natural decay or
deteriorationshallbedeterminedbytheCourt.
7.Evictionandmodeofrecoveryasaninterimrelief.__(1)IfduringtrialtheCourtissatisfied
thatapersonisfoundprimafacietobenotinlawfulpossession,theCourtshall,asaninterimrelief
directhimtoputtheowneroroccupier,asthecasemaybe,inpossession.
(2)Wherethepersonagainstwhomanysuchorderispassedundersubsection(1)failstocomply
withthesame,theCourtshall,notwithstandinganyotherlawforthetimebeinginforce,takesuch
stepsandpasssuchorderasmaybenecessarytoputtheowneroroccupierinpossession.
(3) The Court may authorize any official or officer to take possession for securing compliance
with its orders under subsection (1). The person so authorized may use or cause to be used such
forceasmaybenecessary.
(4)Ifanyperson,authorizedbytheCourt,undersubsection(3),requirespoliceassistanceinthe
exerciseofhispowerunderthisAct,hemaysendarequisitiontotheofficerinchargeofapolice
stationwhoshallonsuchrequisitionrendersuchassistanceasmayberequired.
(5)Thefailureoftheofficerinchargeofpolicestationtorenderassistanceundersubsection(4)
shallamounttomisconductforwhichtheCourtmaydirectdepartmentalactionagainsthim.
8. Delivery of possession of property to owner, etc. (1) On conclusion of trial, if the Court
findsthatanowneroroccupierofthepropertywasillegallydispossessedorpropertywasgrabbedin
contraventionofsection3,theCourtmay,atthetimeofpassingorderundersubsection(2)ofthat
section,directtheaccusedoranypersonclaimingthroughhimforrestorationofthepossessionofthe
property to the owner or, as the case may be, the occupier, if not already restored to him under
section7.
(2)Forthepurposeofsubsection(1),theCourtmay,whereitisrequired,directtheofficerin
chargeofthepolicestationforsuchassistanceasmayberequiredforrestorationofthepossessionof
thepropertytotheowneror,asthecasemaybe,theoccupier.
9. Application of Code. Unless otherwise provided in this Act, the provisions of the Code of
CriminalProcedure,1898(Vof1898),shallapplytoproceedingsunderthisAct.
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