PPC § 425 — Mischief

Statutory text (English)

Whoever, with intent to cause, or, knowing that he is likely to cause,
wrongful loss or damage to the public or to any person, causes the destruction of any property, or any
such change in any property or in the situation thereof as destroys or diminishes its value or utility, or
affects it injuriously, commits “mischief”.

Explanation 1.— It is not essential to the offence of mischief that the offender should intend to
cause loss or damage to the owner of the property injured or destroyed. It is sufficient if he intends to
cause, or knows that he is likely to cause, wrongful loss or damage to any person by injuring any
property, whether it belongs to that person or not.

Explanation 2.— Mischief may be committed by an act affecting property belonging to the
person who commits the act, or to that person and others jointly.
Illustrations
(a) A voluntarily burns a valuable security belonging to Z intending to cause
wrongful loss to Z. A has committed mischief.
(b) A introduces water into an ice-house belonging to Z and thus causes the ice to
melt, intending wrongful loss to Z. A has committed mischief.
(c) A voluntarily throws into a river a ring belonging to Z, with the intention of
thereby causing wrongful loss to Z. A has committed mischief.
(d) A, knowing that his effects are about to be taken in execution in order to satisfy
a debt due from him to Z, destroys those effects, with the intention of thereby
preventing Z from obtaining satisfaction of the debt, and of thus causing damage
to Z. A has committed mischief.
(e) A having insured a ship, voluntarily causes the same to be cast away, with the
intention of causing damage to the underwriters. A has committed mischief.
(f) A, causes a ship to be cast away, intending thereby to cause damage to Z who
has lent money on bottomry on the ship. A has committed mischief.
(g) A, having joint property with Z in a horse, shoots the horse, intending thereby
to cause wrongful loss to Z. A has committed mischief.
(h) A causes cattle to enter upon a field belonging to Z, intending to cause and
knowing that he is likely to cause damage to Z’s crop. A has committed
mischief.

Source and verification

Source citation: PPC (Act XLV of 1860) s.425: Pakistan Code portal consolidated official PDF 'THE PAKISTAN PENAL CODE' (Act No. XLV of 1860), p. 148, 149, 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. 148, 149) — reflects all amendments recorded in the official footnotes up to ingest date 2026-09-15. Automated transcription; per-amendment…

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