PPC § 98 — Right of private defence against the act of a person of unsound mind, etc

Statutory text (English)

When an
act, which would otherwise be a certain offence is not that offence, by reason of the youth, the want of
maturity of understanding, the unsoundness of mind or the intoxication of the person doing that act, or
by reason of any misconception on the part of that person, every person has the same right of private
defence against that act which he would have if the act were that offence.
Illustrations
(a) Z, under the influence of madness, attempts to kill A ; Z is guilty of no offence. But A
has the same right of private defence which he would have if Z were sane.
(b) A enters by night a house which he is legally entitled to enter. Z, in good faith, taking
A for a house-breaker, attacks A. Here Z, by attacking A under this misconception,
commits no offence. But A has the same right of private defence against Z, which he
would have if Z were not acting under that misconception.

Source and verification

Source citation: PPC (Act XLV of 1860) s.98: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE PAKISTAN PENAL CODE' (Act No. XLV of 1860), p. 49, 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. 49) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment version…

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