No bail for reckless drivers in fatal crashes

The National Assembly Standing Committee on Interior approved a significant amendment on Tuesday, declaring Section 320 of the PPC as non-bailable in cases where a person dies due to reckless driving.

The committee met at Parliament House with Raja Khurram Shahzad Nawaz in the chair. The committee unanimously passed the amendment to the law, which ensures that accused drivers involved in fatal accidents due to negligence cannot secure bail.

The proposal was part of the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2024, presented by PPP lawmaker Sharmila Farooqui, who highlighted that 128 people died in road accidents in Islamabad last year.

"Accidents don't discriminate between the poor and the rich," committee member Qadir Patel said. "Even God forgives mistakes, but the law must uphold justice." The members supported the amendment to the Section 320 of the PPC.

Section 320 PPC deals with the punishment for 'Qatl-i-Khata', a form of culpable homicide, by rash or negligent driving. The committee however, kept Section 319, which also dealt with 'Qatl-i-Khata', unchanged.

The committee also approved the Anti-Terrorism Amendment Bill 2024 without any opposition. Meanwhile, the CrPC Amendment Bill 2025 was deferred to the next session at the Law Ministry's request.

Notably, no PTI-backed members attended the meeting. Amid PTI's call for protests in Islamabad, State Minister for Interior Talal Chaudhry stated that only eight individuals were detained. He criticised PTI's leadership for failing to follow proper procedures.

Talking to reporters after the meeting, Chaudhry said that the PTI had applied for permission for protest via email but never followed up on it. He added that the provincial authorities reached out to the PTI's local leadership but received no response.