Section 19: Hot pursuit

19. Hot pursuit.—(1) When the Federal Government, or any authority or person duly authorized in this behalf by the Federal Governknent, has reason to believe that a foreign ship has violated the laws or regulations of Pakistan, it or he may undertake the hot pursuit for the arrest of that ship. (2) Hot pursuit commences when the foreign ship or one of its boats or other craft working as a team and using the ship pursued as a mother ship is within the limits of the internal waters, territorial sea or contiguous zone of Pakistan. (3) If the foreign ship is in the contiguous zone of Pakistan, the hot pursuit may be undertaken if there has been a violation of the laws or regulations for which the zone was established. (4) As long as the hot pursuit is not interrupted, it may continue outside the territorial sea, the contiguous zone, the exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf as the case may be. The hot pursuit ceases as soon as the ship pursued enters the territorial sea of its own country or of a third country. The right of hot pursuit shall be exercised by warships or military aircraft of Pakistan, or by ships or aircraft clearly marked and identifiable as being on Federal Government service and duly authorized in this behalf by the Federal Government or any authority or person duly authorized by the Federal Government. (5) In case of violations of laws or regulations applicable in the exclusive economic zone or on the continental shelf, the hot pursuit may commence when the ship pursued or one of it boats using the ship pursued as a mother ship, is within the limits of the exclusive economic zone or continental shelf as the case may be. Explanation.—For the purpose of this section,— (a) the expression “warship” includes all ships of the Pakistan Navy and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency; and (b) the expression “military aircraft” includes an aircraft of the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force and the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency.

Effective date: 2023-04-26

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