CrPC § 165 — Search by police-officer

Statutory text (English)

1[
(1) Whenever an officer in charge of a police-station or a police-
officer making an investigation has reasonable grounds for believing that anything necessary for the
purposes of an investigation into any offence which he is authorised to investigate may be found in any
place within the limits of the police-station of which he is in charge, or to which he is attached, and that such
thing cannot in his opinion be otherwise obtained without undue delay, such officer may, after recording in
writing the grounds of his belief and specifying in such writing, so far as possible, the thing for which search
is to be made, search, or cause search to be made, for such thing in any place within the limits of such
station.[:]2
3[
Provided that no such officer shall search, or cause search to be made, for anything which is in the
custody of a bank or banker as defined in the Bankers' Books Evidence Act, 1891 (XVIII of 1891) and
relates, or might disclose any information which relates, to the bank account of any person except,—
(a) for the purpose of investigating an offence under sections 403, 406, 408 and 409 and sections
421 to 424 (both inclusive) and sections 465 to 477A (both inclusive) of the Pakistan Penal
Code, with the prior permission in writing of a Sessions Judge; and
(b) in other cases, with the prior permission in writing of the High Court.]

(2) A police-officer proceeding under sub-section

(1) shall, if practicable, conduct the search in person.]

(3) If he is unable to conduct the search in person, and there is no other person competent to make the
search present at the time, he may 4[after recording in writing his reasons for so doing] require any officer
subordinate to him to make the search, and he shall deliver to such subordinate officer an order in writing
5[specifying the place to be searched and, so far as possible, the thing for which search is to be made]; and
such subordinate officer may thereupon search for such thing in such place.

(4) The provisions of this Code as to search-warrants 1[and the general provisions as to searches
contained in section 102 and section 103] shall, so far may be, apply to a search made under this section.
2[
(5) Copies of any record made under sub-section

(1) or sub-section

(3) shall forthwith be sent to the
nearest Magistrate empowered to take cognizance of the offence and the owner or occupier of the place
searched shall on application be furnished with a copy of the same by the Magistrate:

Provided that he shall pay for the same unless the Magistrate for some special reason thinks fit to furnish
it free of cost.]

Source and verification

Source citation: CrPC (Act V of 1898) s.165: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE' (Act No. V of 1898, last amended 2017-02-16), p. 83, 84, ingested 2026-09-15. Automated transcription from official source (pypdf extraction, audited artifact repair); human admin re-check required before production.

Verification status: verified · Text status: auto_transcribed_verified_source

The record cites an official source, but its transcription is automated or only partly checked; a human re-check is pending.

Official Urdu text status: pending_official_urdu_text. Where official Urdu wording has not been sourced, Qanoon does not substitute an unverified translation for the statutory text.

Historical text notes

1 historical record is linked to this section. Historical wording may be incomplete or pending verification; it is not presented as current law.

• Date not confirmed: Consolidated current text as published in the official Pakistan Code PDF (p. 83, 84) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment…

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