Article 270AA: Declaration and continuance of laws etc

1. The Proclamation of Emergency of the fourteenth day of October, 1999, the Provisional Constitution Order No.1 of 1999, the Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2000 (No.1 of 2000), Chief Executive's Order No. 12 of 2002, Chief Executive's Order No.19 of 2002, the amendments made in the Constitution through the
Legal Framework Order, 2002 (Chief Executive's Order No. 24 of 2002), the Legal Framework (Amendment) Order, 2002 (Chief Executive's Order No. 29 of 2002) and the Legal Framework (Second Amendment) Order, 2002 (Chief Executive's Order No. 32 of 2002), notwithstanding any judgment of any court including the Supreme Court or a High Court, are hereby declared as having been made without lawful authority and of no legal effect.

2. Except as provided in clause (1) and subject to the provisions of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, all laws including President's Orders, Acts, Ordinances, Chief Executive's Orders, regulations, enactments, notifications, rules, orders or bye-laws made between the twelfth day of October, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and the thirty-first day of December, two thousand and three (both days inclusive) and still in force shall, continue to be in force until altered, repealed or amended by the competent authority.

Explanation,- For the purposes of clause (2) and clause (6), "competent authority" means,-

a. in respect of Presidents' Orders, Ordinances, Chief Executive's Orders and all other laws, the appropriate Legislature; and
b. 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.

3. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution or clause (1), or judgment of any court including the Supreme Court or a High Court,-

a. Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and Federal Shariat Court who were holding the office of a Judge or were appointed as such, and had taken oath under the Oath of Office (Judges) Order, 2000, (1 of 2000), shall be deemed to have continued to hold the office as a Judge or to have been appointed as such, as the case may be, under the Constitution, and such continuance or appointment, shall have effect accordingly.

b. Judges of the Supreme Court, High Courts and Federal Shariat Court who not having been given or taken oath under the Oath of Office of (Judges) Order, 2000 (1 of 2000), and ceased to hold the office of a Judge shall, for the purposes of pensionary benefits only, be deemed to have continued to hold office under the Constitution till their date of superannuation.

4. All orders made, proceedings taken, appointments made, including secondments and deputations, 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 twelfth day of October, one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and the thirty first day of December, two thousand and three (both days inclusive), in exercise of the powers derived from any authority or laws mentioned in clause (2), or in execution of or in compliance with any orders made or sentences passed by any authority in the exercise or purported exercise of powers as aforesaid, shall, notwithstanding anything contained in clause (1), be deemed to be valid and shall not be called in question in any court or forum on any ground whatsoever.

5. No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings, including writ petitions, shall lie in any court or forum 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 clause (4) or in execution of or in compliance with orders made or sentences passed in exercise or purport ed exercise of such powers.

6. Notwithstanding omission of the Concurrent Legislative List by the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, all laws with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the said List (including Ordinances, Orders, rules, bye-laws, regulations and notifications and other legal instruments having the force of law) in force in Pakistan or any part thereof, or having extra-territorial operation, immediately before the commencement of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, shall continue to remain in force until altered, repealed or amended by the competent authority.

7. Notwithstanding anything contained in the Constitution, all taxes and fees levied under any law in force immediately before the commencement of the Constitution (Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010, shall continue to be levied until they are varied or abolished by an Act of the appropriate legislature.

8. On the omission of the Concurrent Legislative List, the process of devolution of the matters mentioned in the said List to the Provinces shall be completed by the thirtieth day of June, two thousand and eleven.

9. For purposes of the devolution process under clause (8), the Federal Government shall constitute an Implementation Commission as it may deem fit within fifteen days of the commencement of the Constitution
(Eighteenth Amendment) Act, 2010.