The court ruled that driving a bus without a Public Service Vehicle license is illegal and that Section 322 applies when such a driver causes a fatal accident.
The Lahore High Court has ruled that driving a bus without a valid Public Service Vehicle (PSV) driving license is illegal and dismissed the bail petition of a bus driver accused in a road accident that killed four young men.
Justice Tanveer Ahmed Sheikh issued the decision in the case registered against Riaz Hussain at Sadar Shujaabad police station on Nov. 15, 2025.
According to the court’s decision, the accident involved a bus and a motorcycle carrying the four victims. All four motorcyclists died at the scene.
The court held that if a driver operating a bus without a PSV license causes deaths in an accident, Section 322 of the Pakistan Penal Code applies. It further observed that the offense under Section 322 is cognizable and non-bailable.
The court noted that although Section 322 provides punishment in the form of diyat, this does not give an accused an automatic right to bail.
Justice Sheikh observed that a person who drives a vehicle illegally puts his own life, as well as the lives of passengers and members of the public, at risk. The court found that the accused’s operation of the bus without the required license was a clear violation of the Punjab Motor Vehicles Ordinance, 1965.
The judgment also rejected the argument that the accused should benefit from the fact that his name was not initially included in the first information report (FIR) or that there was a delay in recording a supplementary statement.
The court found no evidence of mala fide on the part of the complainant or the bus owners to falsely implicate the accused. It held that the accused’s involvement in the deaths of the four people could not be ruled out at the preliminary stage.
The Lahore High Court emphasized that bail applications must be decided according to the circumstances and facts of each individual case.
On these grounds, the court dismissed the bus driver’s bail petition.
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