Lawmakers introduced the Pakistan Penal Code Amendment Bill 2025 in the National Assembly on Wednesday, proposing stricter penalties for drunk driving.
MQM lawmaker Khawaja Izhar-ul-Hassan jointly tabled the bill with PPP MNA Mirza Ikhtiar Baig and Arshad Abdullah Vohra. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the Pakistan Penal Code to address accidents caused by drivers under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
Under the bill, a driver who causes a fatal accident while intoxicated will face charges of manslaughter by intoxication. The amendment proposes a prison term of up to 10 years along with a fine of up to Rs500,000 for such offences.
The bill also sets mandatory procedures for law enforcement. In every accident that results in death or serious bodily injury, the officer in charge of the police station or the investigating officer, not below the rank of sub-inspector, must immediately conduct breath, blood, and saliva tests to determine intoxication.
If the tests confirm alcohol or drug use, the bill requires the police to register a first information report under the relevant sections of the Pakistan Penal Code. Depending on the nature of the offence, authorities will register cases under Section 322 or Section 302.
