Explained provision · PPC
Section 302 PPC — Punishment of Qatl-i-Amd
Read Section 302 PPC with verified statutory text and a clear explanation of qisas, ta'zir, qatl-i-amd, fasad-fil-arz, and legal effect.
Original legal text
Verified statutory wording
The text below is reproduced separately from Shahbaz Shah's explanation. Paragraph spacing is normalised and amendment brackets and footnote markers are omitted for readability; the statutory wording is not paraphrased.
Section 302
302. Punishment of qatl-i-amd. Whoever commits qatl-e-amd shall, subject to the provisions of this Chapter be— (a) punished with death as qisas; (b) punished with death or imprisonment for life as ta'zir having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, if the proof in either of the forms specified in section 304 is not available; or (c) punished with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to twenty-five years, where according to the Injunctions of Islam the punishment of qisas is not applicable: Provided that nothing in clause (c) shall apply where the principle of fasad-fil-arz is attracted and in such cases only clause (a) or clause (b) shall apply.
Original analysis
Plain-language explanation
Section 302 states the punishments for qatl-i-amd, the form of intentional homicide defined in section 300 PPC. It operates within the wider Qisas and Diyat chapter rather than as a stand-alone sentencing provision.
The available route depends on the legally proved form of liability, the mode of proof under section 304, whether qisas is legally applicable, and whether fasad-fil-arz is attracted.
Legal test
Essential ingredients
- Death of a human being
- An act attributable to the accused
- Intent to cause death, intent to cause bodily injury likely in the ordinary course to cause death, or the statutory imminently-dangerous knowledge under section 300
- Causal connection between the act and death
- Proof beyond reasonable doubt in accordance with the applicable evidentiary framework
Consequence
Legal effect
On proof of qatl-i-amd, the court must sentence within the Qisas and Diyat framework in section 302 and the connected provisions of the chapter.
Proof and process
Burden or procedural requirement
- The prosecution bears the criminal burden of proving the offence beyond reasonable doubt.
- The court must identify the applicable clause, address the form of proof and chapter-wide rules, and give legally sustainable reasons for sentence.
- Questions of waiver, compounding, wali, diyat, and fasad-fil-arz are governed by connected PPC provisions and cannot be answered by section 302 alone.
Limits
Important exceptions and qualifications
- Clause (c) applies only where qisas is not applicable according to the Injunctions of Islam.
- Where fasad-fil-arz is attracted, the proviso excludes clause (c).
- General exceptions and special defences elsewhere in the PPC may prevent or alter criminal liability if proved under the governing law.
Primary source
Verify the complete statute
Last verified: 2026-07-13
Source status: Pakistan Code marks the publication “Under Review”; verify later amendments in the Gazette of Pakistan.
Professional legal contact
Need advice on this provision?
Application may depend on the latest amendment, binding precedent, forum, evidence, and the facts of the case.