CrPC § 221 — Charge to state offence

Statutory text (English)

(1) Every charge under this Code shall state the offence with which the
accused is charged.

(2) Specific name of offence sufficient description. If the law which creates the offence gives it any
specific name, the offence may be described in the charge by that name only.

(3) How stated where offence has no specific name. If the law which creates the offence does not give
it any specific name, so much of the definition of the offence must be stated as to give the accused notice of
the matter with which he is charged.

(4) The law and section of the law against which the offence is said to have been committed shall be
mentioned in the charge.

(5) What implied in charge. The fact that the charge is made is equivalent to a statement that every
legal condition required by law to constitute the offence charged was fulfilled in the particular case.
[
(6) Language of charge. The charge shall be written either in English or in the language of the Court.]

(7) Previous conviction when to be set out. If the accused 1[having been previously convicted of any
offence, is liable, by reason of such previous conviction, to enhanced punishment,or to punishment of a
different kind, for a subsequent offence, and it is intended to prove such previous conviction for the purpose
of affecting the punishment which the Court may think fit to award for the subsequent offence,] the fact,
date and place of the previous conviction shall be stated in the charge. If such statement 2[has been
omitted,] the Court may add it at any time before sentence is passed.
Illustrations
(a) A is charged with the murder of B. This is equivalent to a statement that A's act fell within the
definition of murder given in sections 299 and 300 of the Pakistan Penal Code; (XLVI of
1860). that it did not fall within any of the general exceptions of the same Code; and that it did
not fall within any of the five exceptions to section 300, or that, if it did fall within Exception 1,
one or other of the three provisos to that exception apply to it.
(b) A is charged, under section 326 of the Pakistan Penal Code, (XLV of 1860) with voluntarily
causing grievous hurt to B by means of an instrument for shooting. This is equivalent to a
statement that the case was not provided for by section 335 of the Pakistan Penal Code, and that
the general exceptions did not apply to it.
(c) A is accused of murder, cheating, theft, extortion, adultery or criminal intimidation, or using a
false property-mark. The charge may state that A committed murder, or cheating, or theft, or
extortion, or adultery, or criminal intimidation, or that he used a false property-mark, without
reference to the definitions of those crimes contained in the Pakistan Penal Code; (XLV of
1860) but the sections under which the offence is punishable must, in each instance, be referred
to in the charge.
(d) A is charged, under section 184 of the Pakistan Penal Code (XLV of 1860) with
intentionally obstructing a sale of property offered for sale by the lawful authority of a public
servant. The charge should be in those words.

Source and verification

Source citation: CrPC (Act V of 1898) s.221: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE' (Act No. V of 1898, last amended 2017-02-16), p. 105, 106, 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. 105, 106) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment…

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