According to the Pakistan Essential Services (Maintenance) Act 1952, the government could apply this Act to every employment under the Federal Government, and, subject to the provisions of subsection (2), to any employment or class of employment which the federal government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare to be an employment or class of employment to which this Act applies. It shall remain in force for a period of six months which the federal government may, by notification in the official Gazette, extend for further periods not exceeding six months at any time.
The Act further stated that disobeys any lawful order given in the course of such employment, or attempts to persuade any person to disobey any such order to, or without reasonable excuse abandons such employment or absents himself from work or refuses to work or to continue to work, whether or not acting in combination with, or under a common understanding of, any other person engaged in such employment; or departs from any area specified in an order under sub-section (1) of section 4 without the consent of the authority making that order, and any employer of a person engaged in an employment or class of employment declared under section 3 to be an employment or class of employment to which this Act applies, who without reasonable excuse discontinues the employment of such person, or(ii) by closing an establishment in which such person is engaged, causes the discontinuance of his employment, is guilty of an offence under this Act. Any person found guilty of an offence under this Act shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year and shall also be liable to a fine.