PDF viewer not loading? Download the PDF directly or view on Pakistan Code.
Updated till 14.10.2021
THE SURVEYING AND MAPPING ACT, 2014
CONTENTS
PART I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Definitions.
PART II
CONSTITUTION OF SURVEY OF PAKISTAN
3. Constitution of Survey of Pakistan.
4. Offices of Survey of Pakistan.
5. Administration of Survey of Pakistan.
6. Functions of Survey of Pakistan.
7. Research and development activities.
8. Surveys and demarcation, etc.
9. Authorization to enter into any land.
10. Datum, projection and standards.
11. Registration.
12. Register.
13. Joint survey and mapping and geospatial data production work with foreign
companies.
14. Correction of erroneous data.
PART III
MANAGEMENT OF GEOSPATIAL DATA
15. Management of geospatial data.
PART IV
SUPPLY AND SECURITY OF GEOSPATIAL DATA
16. Supply and use of geospatial data.
17. Classified data.
PART V
USE OF SURVEY MARKERS
18. Protection, use and maintenance of survey marks.
PART VI
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
19 Geographical names.
PART VII
OFFENCES AND PENALTIES
20. Offences.
21. Jurisdiction of courts.
PART VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
22. Printing and publishing of maps and geospatial data.
23. Power to make rules.
24. Indemnity.
25. Employees to be civil servants.
THE SURVEYING AND MAPPING ACT, 2014
(ACT No. I OF 2014) [12th May, 2014]
An Act to provide for constitution and regulation of survey of Pakistan
WHEREAS in the view of prevailing circumstances it is expedient to constitute
Survey of Pakistan to provide for the regulation of surveying and mapping activities and for
the matters connected therewith or ancillary thereto;
AND WHEREAS it is necessary to provide for speedy disposal of such cases and
execution in matters connected therein or ancillary thereto;
It is hereby enacted as follows:__
PART I
PRELIMINARY
1. Short title, extent and commencement. ___(1) This Act may called the Surveying
and Mapping Act, 2014.
(2) It extends to the whole of Pakistan.
(3) It shall come into force at once.
2. Definitions.___In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or
context,___
(i) "aerial photography" means the act of taking photographs of any portion of the
earth with the help of cameras installed in an aircraft or any sort of air borne
vehicle;
(ii) "datum" means an arbitrarily selected reference point, plane or surface to
which all measurements are referred including geodetic, vertical and
gravimetric datum;
(iii) "deposit works" mean extra departmental jobs carried out on payment basis;
(iv) "digital maps" mean geographic maps produced through satellite images, GPS,
total station data or digitized using mapping software;
(v) "engineering maps" mean the large-scale topographical maps on which
engineering works, of development projects are planned and designed,
generally their scale is equivalent or larger than 1: 10,000;
(vi) "gravity datum" means the point to which all gravity measurements are
referred;
(vii) "Government department" means a department controlled by Federal or a
Provincial Government and includes any autonomous body, authority or
organization established by or under the Federal or a Provincial law or which
is owned or controlled or administered by the Federal or a Provincial
Government or in which the Federal or a Provincial Government have
controlling share or interest and also includes any local Government;
(viii) "geodetic datum" means the origin or a point to which all horizontal
measurements are referred;
(ix) "geographical maps" mean maps that show general configuration of physical
features of a certain area on a reference plane;
(x) "geospatial data" means information collected in hard copy format or in digital
format or any other format for the purposes of preparation of geographical or
topographical data and its attributes, its processing and analysis;
(xi) "imagery" means remotely sensed image of any resolution depicting any part
of the earth and acquired or obtained using optical or, as the case may be, non-
optical sensor;
(xii) "local plane coordinate system" means a rectangular coordinate system
generally used for large-scale mapping;
(xiii) "mapping" means the art of map-making using specific datum, projection and
scale and includes digital mapping;
(xiv) "national co-ordinate system" means a plane coordinate system as notified by
the 1[concerned Division];
(xv) "National Naming Authority" means the National Naming Authority
established under section 19;
(xvi) "National Spatial Data Infrastructure" means a system of geospatial databases
handling facilities capable of interacting with each other for effective use of
geospatial data and include set of standards, specifications and policies
defining a framework for collecting, sharing, disseminating, processing and
carrying out analysis on geospatial data in the most cost effective manner with
the key features to allow unrestricted yet controlled sharing of data for
decision support system at strategic, tactical and operational levels;
(xvii) “prescribed” means prescribed by rules made under this Act;
(xviii) "photogrammetry" means the art of taking measurements and mapmaking by
using mono or, as the case may be, stereo image of the photographs taken by
an aircraft or air borne vehicle or a satellite;
1 Substituted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.2.
(xix) "public survey" means a survey in respect of which details are included in the
register of public surveys;
(xx) "registered surveyor" means a person who is registered with the Survey of
Pakistan as a land surveyor under this Act and competent to carry out
authorized type of survey work, processing and analysis;
(xxi) "remote sensing" means the method and art by which characteristics of the
objects of interest can be identified, classified, measured or analyzed without
physical contact;
(xxii) "registered organization" means any organization or authority or agency of the
Government, a private firm or organization duly registered with the Survey of
Pakistan under this Act and competent to carry out authorized type of survey
work, processing and analysis;
(xxiii) "survey" means the act of taking topographic surveying measurements and
collection of spatial and non-spatial data for preparing geospatial database, its
processing and analysis;
(xxiv) "satellite" means an artificial body revolving around the earth at some
distance;
(xxv) "Survey of Pakistan" means the department of Survey of Pakistan, which is the
national surveying and mapping organization of Pakistan;
(xxvi) "Surveyor General of Pakistan" means head of the department of Survey of
Pakistan;
(xxvii) "survey mark" means benchmark pillar, iron bolt fixed in rock, a mark
engraved on any building, a mark engraved on an in situ rock or a stone
embedded in ground, a triangulation point protected by a cairn, a gravity
pillar, a leveling benchmark, a fixed mark, hill station, monument or any other
station or mark created by the Survey of Pakistan for the purpose of surveying
and mapping;
(xxviii) "sub-standard work" means any survey work which does not conform to the
approved specifications and standards as may be prescribed by the Survey of
Pakistan;
(xxix) "topographical data" means data, which shows detailed information about
shape, size and relationship of all features and abstract information of the
earth, including but not limited to natural and manmade objects or features,
geographical names, administrative boundaries and information like elevation,
hydrology, vegetation, population and others; and
(xxx) "vertical datum" means the surface to which all vertical measurements are
referred and mean sea level is taken as vertical datum of a country.
PART II
CONSTITUTION OF SURVEY OF PAKISTAN
3. Constitution of Survey of Pakistan.___(l) Notwithstanding anything contained in
any other law for the time being in force, the Survey of Pakistan shall be deemed to have
been established under this Act.
(2) For efficient administration of Survey of Pakistan, there shall be a Surveyor
1
[General] of Pakistan who shall be appointed by the 1[Prime Minister] and there shall be
other officers and staff as may be appointed 1[****] in the prescribed manner.
1
[(3) Survey of Pakistan shall be technical department for all activities involving
surveying, mapping, geographic information system or remote sensing and geospatial
information technologies in the country.]
4. Offices of Survey of Pakistan.___Survey of Pakistan shall have its head office at
Rawalpindi or Islamabad and shall have offices at Federal, Provincial or district level and
such other offices as the Survey of Pakistan may, by notification in the Official Gazette,
establish.
5. Administration of Survey of Pakistan.___Under this Act,___
(a) superintendence of Survey of Pakistan shall vest in the Federal
Government; and
(b) administration of Survey of Pakistan shall vest in, and be exercised by,
the Surveyor General of Pakistan in accordance with the provisions of
this Act and the rules made thereunder.
6. Functions of Survey of Pakistan. ___For carrying out the purposes of this Act,
Survey of Pakistan shall___
(a) be the sole national surveying and mapping organization of Pakistan;
(b) determine and update geodetic datum and projection system of
Pakistan using latest geodetic techniques and technologies;
(c) determine and update vertical datum using data captured by Survey of
Pakistan and obtained from Government departments, registered
organizations or any other source having such installations along the
coastal line of Pakistan;
(d) delineate and demarcate international borders and relocate boundary
pillars;
(e) provide geodetic control, heights and geographical positions all over
Pakistan;
1Subs., omitted and added by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s. 3.
(f) advise 1[Prime Minister] on the practices to be followed in the
production of geospatial data as well as surveying and mapping
practices and as the case may be in the collection and dissemination of
this kind of information needed for geographical information systems
(GIS) applications;
(g) prepare geospatial data, remote sensing and geographical information
system applications of the entire country on various scales as advised
by the 1[Prime Minister] and provide above services as a deposit work
for a specific area with pre-defined specifications to the Provincial
Governments, district and local governments and other clients from
public as well as private sector;
(h) carry out topographic survey, its updation and printing of topographic
maps of national map series;
(i) compile derived maps on various scales as required by the 1[concerned
Division];
(j) generate maps on any scale through aerial photography and remote
sensing using analytical and digital methods;
(k) be responsible to prepare and print guide maps, provincial maps,
district maps, road maps, tehsil maps and miscellaneous geographical
maps for the whole of Pakistan;
(l) establish and maintain National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) of
Pakistan;
(m) be responsible to survey and prepare cantonment areas maps;
(n) train departmental employees and potential candidates from private
sector in various disciplines of surveying, geographical and mapping in
the Survey Training Institute at various levels;
(o) control and coordinate surveying and mapping activities done by
registered organizations and individuals and their registration process;
(p) carry out magnetic survey of entire country in a cyclic order as
prescribed by Survey of Pakistan for the purpose of magnetic
declination;
(q) have such other functions as are conferred or imposed on it by or under
this Act or any other law; and
(r) perform such other functions as may be assigned by the 1[concerned
Division].
1 Substituted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.4.
7. Research and development activities. ___(l) Survey of Pakistan shall encourage
and collaborate research activities in the field of surveying and mapping, remote sensing, GIS
and other fields related to the discipline of surveying and mapping, cartography, instrument
development and database with national and international organizations.
(2) Survey of Pakistan shall endeavor to upgrade scientific and technology level in
this field and encourage and support any registered organizations and individuals that
produce outstanding work in any field of surveying and mapping and related scientific or
technological research.
8. Surveys and demarcation, etc. ___(l) Survey of Pakistan shall be responsible for
the delineation and demarcation of international land boundaries of Pakistan, jointly with the
national mapping organizations or other organizations as authorized by the neighboring
countries, in accordance with mutually agreed protocol and the plans drawn in the light of
such protocol before taking up actual demarcation work.
(2) Survey of Pakistan shall carry out surveying and mapping of the provinces,
districts and other administrative boundaries of Pakistan on receipt of requests there for after
the alignment thereof has been agreed upon.
(3) Survey of Pakistan may also take up demarcation of land or state boundaries as a
deposit work on mutual agreement of the parties consisting of Federal Government,
Provincial Governments, district Governments, semi-government departments, autonomous
bodies, private parties or individuals or as ordered by a court of law.
(4) Fifty per cent of the money received against the deposit shall be utilized for
capacity building of the Survey of Pakistan in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
9. Authorization to enter into any land.___(1) Any person authorized by Survey of
Pakistan for the purpose of this section may, in accordance with the applicable law, ___
(a) enter into any land and public building, office or structure for the purpose of
carrying out assigned task of collection of spatial or nonspatial data or
information subject to applicable laws;
(b) take measurements in or from any such land from survey mark;
(c) search for and, if necessary, uncover any existing survey marks in or on any
such land; and
(d) insert new survey marks in or on any such land for the purpose of carrying out
any survey under this Act or for the purpose of maintaining or repairing any
permanent survey marks.
(2) This section does not entitle any person so authorized to enter any building or
structure on land, other than a building or structure referred to in clause (a) of sub-section (l).
10. Datum, projection and standards. ___(1) Survey of Pakistan shall establish and
adopt geodetic, vertical and gravimetric datum at national level. This datum shall be adopted
in all national activities of surveying and mapping, including those carried out by the armed
forces of Pakistan and the Geological Survey of Pakistan (GSP).
(2) Survey of Pakistan shall define a unified projection system and system of
geodetic coordinates and plane co-ordinates and shall define classification, order and
accuracies of these co-ordinate systems as may be prescribed.
(3) For the purpose of this section, Survey of Pakistan shall establish independent
local plane co-ordinate systems to meet the needs of construction work, urban planning and
scientific research activities, which systems may be connected with the national co-ordinate
system and shall be kept and maintained as classified information.
11. Registration.___(l) No public or private organization, private firm or individual,
national or international, shall 1[use, insert, print or publish maps of Pakistan or atlases,]
undertake any geospatial data collection, production or analysis work and surveying and
mapping activities unless they are registered with Survey of Pakistan for such purpose as may
be prescribed. The qualifications of staff and suitability for such work shall also be certified
by Survey of Pakistan in the prescribed manner.
(2) Before registration, Survey of Pakistan shall obtain clearance of such firms,
organizations and individuals in accordance with such procedure as may be prescribed.
(3) Sub-sections (l) and (2) shall not apply to operations of geospatial data
production, analysis, surveying and mapping carried out by___
(a) any student of surveying, studying in a public educational institution or a
university; and
(b) any person who produces geospatial data under immediate supervision of a
registered organization, firm or individual.
12. Register.___(l) Survey of Pakistan shall maintain a register for the purpose of
geospatial data of public surveys which shall contain details about ___
(a) surveys carried out by Survey of Pakistan; and
(b) surveys for which details have been forwarded to Survey of Pakistan by any
registered organization or individual.
(2) Survey of Pakistan may ensure that public survey conforms with the prescribed
standards.
13. Joint survey and mapping and geospatial data production work with
foreign companies.___No work related to surveying and mapping, collection and production
1 Inserted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.5
of geospatial data within Pakistan shall be undertaken by any individual, private firm or
Government organization in collaboration with any foreign company or firm or non -
governmental organization unless prior written approval is obtained from the 1[concerned
Division], observing the requisite channels.
14. Correction of erroneous data.___(l) Where it comes to knowledge of
Survey of Pakistan that erroneous data is being or was produced by a registered individual,
firm or organization, it ___
(a) may nominate an authorized official to inform by notice in writing requiring
such data producer to correct the same within the time specified in the notice;
and
(b) shall have the authority to engage another registered surveyor to make the
correction if data producer does not comply with the notice. The defaulting
data producer shall be i!1formed to this effect through a written notice.
(2) The data specified in sub-section (1), if not corrected within the time specified
therein, shall immediately be forfeited by Survey of Pakistan and shall not be used for any
purpose whatsoever.
(3) Any costs or expenses incurred on work mentioned in sub-section (1) shall, as a
debt due to the Government, be recoverable through a court of competent jurisdiction from
the registered individual, firm or organization surveyor.
PART III
MANAGEMENT OF GEOSPATIAL DATA
15. Management of geospatial data.___(1) Survey of Pakistan shall establish
and maintain National Spatial Data Infrastructure (NSDI) with support of key stakeholders to
ensure consistent mechanism of maintenance, dissemination and sharing geospatial data
among all users by reducing duplication in collection and maintenance of aforesaid data and
to enhance and improve objective decision making.
(2) NSDI established and maintained under sub-section (1) shall, for development of a
system of geospatial databases and data handling facilities, be capable of interacting amongst
all stakeholders and ensure putting in place design, implementation and maintenance
mechanisms for facilitating, sharing, access and responsible for effective use of geospatial
data at an affordable cost.
(3) All basic data or information comprising geodetic data, gravity data, magnetic
data, topographical or geographical data, aerial photographs and all relevant records, both
analogue and digital, prepared and possessed by Survey of Pakistan shall be maintained in the
form of a national geospatial database. Any registered organization, developing geospatial
data, shall, in accordance with the procedure prescribed, forward a copy of the data to Survey
1 Substituted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.6.
of Pakistan free of cost for inclusion in the national geospatial database, except the classified
data collected by army survey group engineers, Geological Survey of Pakistan or strategic
organizations.
(4) Survey of Pakistan shall regularly update geospatial data in the national spatial
data infrastructure and supply the same to various users on demand as may be prescribed.
PART IV
SUPPLY AND SECURITY OF GEOSPATIAL DATA
16. Supply and use of geospatial data.___(1) All geospatial data, aerial photographs
and satellite imageries may be supplied in the manner and on payment to any individual or
organization, as may be prescribed. Classified data shall be provided in the manner
prescribed and the same shall be returned to Survey of Pakistan after the specified period.
(2) No classified maps and data shall be allowed to be used by foreign consultants,
firms or organizations without prior written approval of the 1[concerned Division].
(3) Without prior written approval of the Surveyor General of Pakistan, no individual,
company, firm, private or Government agency shall copy, digitize or print a map or aerial
photograph or a part thereof prepared by Survey of Pakistan except digitization by army
survey group engineers for operational requirement of armed forces of Pakistan.
(4) Any map which is top secret, secret or restricted shall not be exported out of
Pakistan in any format or by any means.
(5) Except as provided under this Act, any act of copying, digitizing or printing any
geographic map or photograph or satellite imagery shall be prohibited.
1
[(6) No one shall print, display, disseminate, use or circulate incorrect and unofficial
version of map of Pakistan or any part of Pakistan in hard or digital form. All individuals,
firms, organizations or departments shall get their maps vetted and cleared from the Survey
of Pakistan before use, publication, dissemination or circulation.]
17. Classified data.___The use and maintenance of all data or maps categorized as top
secret, secret and restricted shall be in accordance with rules.
PART V
USE OF SURVEY MARKERS
18. Protection, use and maintenance of survey marks. ___(l) Nobody shall
damage, destroy or remove any survey mark or seize or occupy the land used for permanent
surveying marks. In case the marks are established on private property, compensation thereof
shall be paid by the 1[concerned Division] under applicable law.
1 Subs. and added by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) ss.7 and 8.
(2) No quarrying, demolition, soil gathering or removing or mining activities shall
be carried out on, near or over any survey mark, which may damage or endanger its safety
and effective utilization.
(3) No individual or organization shall carry out any type of construction within a
radius of ten metres of a survey mark, except with prior permission of Survey of Pakistan and
such individual or organization shall bear all expenses incurred on removal or re-
establishment of the survey mark.
(4) Every surveyor or user of survey marks shall ensure its proper safety during the
course of taking observations.
(5) The local administration shall be responsible for protection of all survey marks
under its area of jurisdiction and shall send to Survey of Pakistan annual report on prescribed
form about condition of the survey marks.
PART VI
NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL INITIATIVES
19. Geographical names.___(l) Notwithstanding anything contained in any other
law for the time being in force, the 1[concerned Division] shall establish, by notification in
the official Gazette, a National Naming Authority which shall consist of not more than ten
members and shall be chaired by the Surveyor General of Pakistan.
(2) The functions of the National Naming Authority shall be to appropriately name
particular geographical locations and it shall have such powers to enable it to carry out the
said functions as may be prescribed.
PART VII
OFFENCES AND PENALITIES
20. Offences.___Any organization, firm, individual or group of individuals engaged in
any unauthorized activity within the meanings of this Act shall render itself an accused of
illegal practices and
(a) shall be asked by Survey of Pakistan to immediately suspend all such
activities;
(b) Survey of Pakistan shall ask concerned police to register a criminal case on
such activities;
(c) depending upon nature of such violations, the accused shall be asked by
Survey of Pakistan or its designated official to deposit with the department of
Survey of Pakistan the entire received money and a penalty up to fifty
thousand rupees; and
1Substituted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.9.
(d) in case Survey of Pakistan is convinced of major offence on part of the
accused then his case shall be referred to a court of law and shall be tried for
the following, namely:___
(i) any individual or group causing hindrance and obstruction to the work
being done by Survey of Pakistan and a registered surveyor shall be
liable to be imprisoned for a term which may extend upto one month
and a fine upto fifty thousand rupees;
(ii) any individual or group causing damage to survey mark shall be liable
to be imprisoned for a term which may extend upto three months and a
fine upto one hundred thousand rupees;
(iii) an individual who engages in geospatial data production, analysis and
surveying and mapping activities in violation of the provisions of this
Act shall be liable to be imprisoned for a term which may extend up to
one year and a fine up to one million rupees;
(iv) every act of damaging, destroying, removing, seizing, occupying or
establishing a mark resembling a permanent survey mark of Survey of
Pakistan shall be an offence under this Act, punishable with
imprisonment for a term which may extend up to one month and a fine
up to fifty thousand rupees; 1[*]
(v) the owners, directors or managers whosoever of any accused
organization, firm, individual or group of individuals, which engages
in geospatial data production, analysis, surveying and mapping
activities or any related activities in violation of the provisions of this
Act, shall, if it is proved that such activities have been committed with
the consent or connivance on the part of the owner, director or
manager, as the case be, be liable to be imprisoned for a term which
may extend up to one year and a fine upto five million rupees 1[; and]
1
[(vi) any individual, firm, organization or department involved in printing,
displaying, disseminating, using or circulating incorrect and unofficial
version of map of Pakistan or any part of Pakistan in hard or digital
form shall be liable to be imprisoned for a term which may extend up
to five years or a fine of five million rupees or both.]
21. Jurisdiction of courts.___(1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of
Criminal Procedure, 1898 (Act V of 1898), no court other than a court of Magistrate of the
First Class shall have jurisdiction to try an offence under this Act.
(2) The offences under this Act shall be non-cognizable and bailable.
1 Omitted, subs. and added by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.10.
PART VIII
MISCELLANEOUS
22. Printing and publishing of maps and geospatial data. ___(1) Any of the maps
and geospatial data, whole or part thereof, falling in the responsibility of Survey of Pakistan,
shall not be printed and published by any firm, individual or organization.
(2) During an emergency, selected printing presses of Pakistan shall come under
command of Survey of Pakistan on required basis. A list of selected printing presses shall be
prepared and updated, on annual basis, by Survey of Pakistan and notified by the Government
of Pakistan.
23. Power to make rules.___The 1[concerned Division] may, by notification in the
official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.
24. Indemnity.___No suit, prosecution or other legal proceedings shall lie against any
person in respect of anything which is in good faith done or intended to be done under this
Act.
25. Employees to be Civil Servants.___The terms and conditions of service under
Survey of Pakistan shall be governed by the Civil Servants Act, 1973 (LXXI of 1973) and the
rules made thereunder.
______
1Substituted by Surveying and Mapping (Amendment) Act, 2020 (Act No. XXXI of 2020) s.11.
Source: Pakistan Code, Ministry of Law and Justice (pakistancode.gov.pk). Text on this page is reproduced verbatim from the official PDF and is provided for reference only. For the authoritative version, always consult the source document or a current reported edition.
LexForm advocates handle matters under Surveying and Mapping Act across Pakistan, the UK, the EU, and the US.