CHAPTER IX
UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLIES 1[AND MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC PEACE
AND SECURITY].
127. Assembly to disperse on command of Magistrate or policeofficer.__(1) Any 2* * * officer in
charge of a police station may command any unlawful assembly, or any assembly of five or more persons
likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, to disperse ; and it shall thereupon be the duty of the
members of such assembly to disperse accordingly.
3* * * * * *
128. Use of civil force to disperse. If, upon being so commanded, any such assembly does not disperse,
or if, without being so commanded, it conducts itself in such a manner as to show a determination not to
disperse, any 2* * * officer in charge of a policestation, 4* * * , may proceed to disperse such assembly by
force, and may require the assistance of any male person, not being an officer 5[,soldier, sailor or airman in
6[the Armed forces of Pakistan]] 7* * *, and acting as such, for the purpose of dispersing such assembly,
and, if necessary, arresting and confining the persons who form part of it, in order to disperse such assembly
or that they may be punished according to law [:]8
8[Provided that for dispersing any assembly, firing shall not be resorted to except under the specific
directions of an officer of the police not below the rank of an Assistant Superintendent or Deputy
Superintendent of Police.]
129. Use of military force. If any such assembly cannot be otherwise dispersed, and if it is necessary
for the public security that it should be dispersed, 8[the police�� officer of the highest rank not below an
Assistant Superintendent, or Deputy Superintendent of Police] who is present may cause it to be dispersed
by 9[the armed forces].
130. Duty of Officer Commanding troops required by Magistrate to disperse assembly. 10[(1)
When 8[a police officer of the highest rank not below an Assistant Superintendent, or Deputy
Superintendent, of Police] determines to disperse any such assembly by the armed forces, he may require
any officer thereof in command of any group of persons belonging to the armed forces to disperse such
assembly with the help of the armed forces under his command and to arrest and confine such persons
forming part of it as the Magistrate 8[or such Police officer] may direct, or as it may be necessary to arrest
and confine in order to disperse the assembly or to have them punished according to law.]
(2) Every such officer shall obey such requisition in such manner as he thinks fit, but in so doing he shall
use as little force, and do as little injury to person and property, as may be consistent with dispersing the
assembly and arresting and detaining such persons.
1 Added by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amdt.) Ord., 2001, (81 of 2001), s.2.
2 Omitted by Ord. 37 of 2001, ss. 34 (w.e.f. 1482001).
3 Subsection (2) omitted by A.O., 1949, Sch.
4 The words “whether within or without the presidencytowns” omitted ibid.
5 Subs. by the Amending Act, 1934 (35 of 1934), s. 2 and Sch., for "or soldier in Her Majesty's Army".
6 Subs. by A.O., 1961, Art. 2 and Sch., for “His Majesty’s Army, Navy or Air Force” (with effect from the 23rd March, 1956.)
7 The words “or a volunteer enrolled under the Indian Volunteers Act, 1869” omitted by the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1972 (12 of 1972), s. 2 and Sch.
8 Subs, added and ins. by Ord. 37 of 2001, s. 3841 (w.e.f. 1482001).
9 Subs. by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amdt.) Act, 1975 (49 of 1975), s.2, for “military force” (w.e.f 25475).
10 Subs. ibid, s.3, for “subsection (1).”
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