Section 56: Authority to make and act on mutual legal assistance requests

56. Authority to make and act on mutual legal assistance requests.__ (1) This Chapter is subject to any treaty, arrangement or understanding with foreign States to which Pakistan may from time to time be party, and nothing in the Chapter shall be taken to limit the nature or extent of assistance which Pakistan may otherwise lawfully give to, or receive from, foreign States. (2) The Federal Government may (a) make request on behalf of Pakistan to the appropriate authority of a foreign State for mutual legal assistance in any investigation commenced, or proceeding instituted, in Pakistan relating to an offence committed, or suspected on reasonable grounds to have been committed, under Chapter II of this Act; (b) grant or postpone in whole or in part similar requests from foreign States onsuch terms and conditions as it thinks fit; and (c) refuse (in whole or in part) such requests from foreign States on the ground that to grant the request would be likely to prejudice the sovereignty, security, public order or other essential public interest of Pakistan. (3) Requests on behalf of the Federal Government to the appropriate authorities of foreign States for the assistance referred to in sub-section (2) shall be made by the Federal Government, or an officer authorised by the Federal Government, and requests for any other form of international assistance in investigations or proceedings relating to criminal matters may be made by any person authorised by the Federal Government in this behalf.

Effective date: 1997-07-11

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