ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior has approved a key amendment on Tuesday, declaring Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC) non-bailable for individuals responsible for fatal accidents caused by reckless driving. The committee, chaired by Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz, passed the amendment unanimously, ensuring that drivers involved in fatal accidents due to negligence cannot secure bail.
The amendment is part of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2024, introduced by PPP lawmaker Sharmila Farooqui, who highlighted that 128 people lost their lives in road accidents in Islamabad last year. “Accidents don’t discriminate between the poor and the rich,” committee member Qadir Patel remarked. “Even God forgives mistakes, but the law must uphold justice.” The committee members fully supported the amendment to Section 320 of the PPC.
Section 320 of the PPC addresses the punishment for ‘Qatl-i-Khata,’ a form of culpable homicide, caused by rash or negligent driving. However, the committee kept Section 319, which also deals with ‘Qatl-i-Khata,’ unchanged.
In addition, the committee approved the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2024 without opposition, but deferred the CrPC Amendment Bill 2025 to the next session at the request of the Law Ministry.
Notably, no PTI-backed members attended the meeting. State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry spoke to reporters afterward, criticizing PTI’s leadership for not following the proper procedures for protests. He mentioned that PTI had applied for permission to protest via email but had failed to follow up on the request, and that local PTI leadership had not responded to outreach from provincial authorities.
