Latest news with #PakistanPenalCode
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Taxi stand contractor booked for extortion
A contractor and four other suspects have been booked for allegedly extorting money from a van driver. The case was registered on the complaint of Akhtar Hussain, a junior clerk at the Jaranwala Municipal Committee, who stated that the committee had awarded a taxi stand fee contract for 202526 to Imranul Haq. Under the terms, the contractor or his authorised representative may collect fees in line with the official schedule. Hussain told police that he went with Salim to inspect the taxi stand. They found a van stopped in the middle of a road with a crowd gathered around it. The suspects had allegedly stopped the vehicle, demanding taxi stand fees from the driver. He added that an injured man was sitting on the road in protest, claiming he had come to Jaranwala with his father for medical treatment in a private vehicle. The contractor's staff allegedly ignored his protest, forcibly collected money in the name of the municipal committee, and harassed both the driver and the injured man. The police registered the case under Sections 419, 420, 384 and 506 of the Pakistan Penal Code and launched a search for the suspects.
Hans India
3 days ago
- Hans India
Pakistan: Christian youth dies from abandonment, institutional cruelty
Islamabad: A leading minority rights group on Friday drew attention to the death of a young man from the Christian community of Pakistan who endured years of imprisonment under the country's infamous blasphemy laws. "At just 25 years old, Nabil Masih's life came to an end quietly, painfully, and far too soon. But his story, marked by injustice, isolation, and perseverance, will not fade into silence. His journey from a 16-year-old boy in a small Pakistani town to a symbol of systemic persecution lays bare the cruelty of Pakistan's blasphemy laws and the deep wounds they inflict upon the country's most vulnerable," read a statement issued by the Voice of Pakistan Minority (VOPM). The rights body mentioned that Nabil was arrested on September 18, 2016 in Phoolnagar near Kasur city of Pakistan's Punjab province. He was accused of sharing a blasphemous image on social media — the one he always denied posting. Highlighting that Pakistani authorities chose to treat Nabil as a criminal, not as a minor deserving of protection, the rights body stated that the accusation regardless of truth, was enough to ruin his life. The VOPM revealed that despite his age, Nabil was charged under Sections 295 and 295-A of the Pakistan Penal Code — laws meant to uphold religious respect, but too often weaponised against minorities. He was denied bail, held for years without trial, and in 2018, sentenced to 10 years in prison. "Behind prison walls, Nabil endured not only physical and mental abuse but also crushing solitude. He lived under the constant threat of violence from inmates and guards. His body, too, began to deteriorate, developing painful, untreated tumors. Only in March 2021, after nearly five years in custody, did the Lahore High Court finally grant him bail on medical grounds. But freedom came too late," the rights body noted. "Nabil underwent surgery for the tumors in May 2021, only to face a relapse in early 2025. Then, in June, he was struck by acute Hepatitis E, a condition made worse by years of neglect and poor health. He was hospitalised in Lahore, where his condition briefly stabilised before worsening. By mid-July, he could no longer speak or walk. On July 31, Nabil passed away — a young man broken by a system that never allowed him to truly live," the statement detailed. The VOPM stated that Nabil's case is not an isolated incident but reflection of a disturbing pattern where blasphemy laws are misused to target minorities, settle personal scores, and provoke mob violence. It emphasised that in such a context justice is not blind but altogether absent. Raising concern, the rights body stated that his story called for urgent answers from Pakistani authorities about why children are treated as enemies of faith, why courts move slowly when lives hang in the balance, and why laws designed to protect become tools of terror. "Nabil Masih didn't die only from disease. He died from abandonment, from institutional cruelty, from a nation's silence," said the VOPM.
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Wedding venue partner accused of fraud
Police have registered a case against a brother-in-law of alleged underworld figure Gogi Butt for his alleged involvement in a wedding venue and hospitality business fraud. According to an FIR registered at the Sundar Police Station, Khawaja Nadeem Saeed Wain is facing charges under Section 406 of the Pakistan Penal Code (criminal breach of trust). The complaint was filed by Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar, a resident of Lahore. Sarwar alleged that he had leased a wedding venue and invested Rs150 million to launch a hospitality venture. He accused Wain of embezzlement, destruction of documentation, and concealment of business transactions.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Road accountability
Listen to article In a welcome move, the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Interior has approved an amendment to Section 320 of the Pakistan Penal Code, making the offence of causing death by reckless driving non-bailable. The decision, passed unanimously by the committee, comes in the wake of several high-profile road accidents, and signals a much-needed shift towards legal deterrence and public safety. For far too long, fatal road accidents have been treated as unfortunate but inevitable misadventures. This perception has been reinforced by the fact that most drivers involved in such incidents are able to secure bail with relative ease, often walking free even before investigations are complete. Declaring the offence non-bailable serves to correct this imbalance. It sends a clear message that loss of life due to negligence will no longer be treated lightly. Pakistan has witnessed a worrying rise in fatal road accidents, many of them attributable to speeding and poorly maintained vehicles. The situation is particularly grave on highways and urban routes where trawlers and tankers operate with little oversight. These vehicles, often unfit, pose a significant threat to both pedestrians and motorists alike. The lack of stringent regulation and weak enforcement of traffic laws has allowed this culture of impunity to flourish. While the amendment is a step in the right direction, its success will ultimately depend on implementation. Legal provisions, no matter how well-intentioned, mean little if they are not enforced uniformly and without fear or favour. Police capacity must be strengthened and transport authorities held accountable for lack of implementation of road laws. The amendment to Section 320 is a long-overdue correction. One can only hope it marks the beginning of a broader effort to restore safety and accountability to Pakistan's roads.
Express Tribune
5 days ago
- Politics
- Express Tribune
FIR registered against PTI leaders, 550 workers over Karachi rally
Karachi Police have registered a case against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi president and seven other senior leaders, along with over 500 other unidentified workers, on charges of rioting, vandalism and disrupting public order during a rally on University Road in Karachi. The case was lodged at the PIB Colony Police Station on behalf of the state, following violent incidents during a rally held on August 5 near Gulshan-e-Iqbal. The rally was led by PTI leaders Raja Azhar, Firdous Shamim Naqvi, Arsalan Khalid, Awab Alvi, Saifur Rehman, and Alamgir Khan, and attended by an estimated 500 to 600 participants. According to the FIR, rally participants blocked oncoming traffic and ignored police directives to disperse. Despite repeated warnings, several attendees, allegedly armed with sticks, began pelting stones at law enforcement personnel, prompting police to respond with tear gas under self-defence measures. During the clash, Head Constable Ejaz from Aziz Bhatti Police Station sustained head injuries after being struck by a stone. Protesters fled through nearby streets as police regained control of the situation. Station House Officer (SHO) PIB Inspector Muhammad Ashfaq confirmed that the FIR was registered under Sections 147, 148, 149, 186, and 353 of the Pakistan Penal Code, among others. He stated that 12 PTI workers had been arrested, while 500 to 550 unidentified suspects named in the FIR remain at large. Investigations are ongoing. Separately, Islamabad police have registered a case against 16 workers of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), including both men and women, for participating in a protest on the Islamabad Expressway. The protest took place on August 5, during which female PTI workers were seen chanting slogans and waving party flags. Police arrested the demonstrators on the spot and later transferred them to Lohi Bher police station. According to officials, the FIR includes a total of 16 legal sections, including provisions under the PAPA Act and 11 other offences. Legal proceedings are currently underway.
