44. Public to give information of certain offences.1[(1) Every person aware of the commission of, or
of the intention of any other person to commit, any offence punishable under any of the following sections
of the Pakistan Penal Code, namely, 121, 121A, 122, 123, 123A, 124, 124A, 125, 126, 130, 143, 144, 145,
147, 148, 153A, 161, 162, 163, 164, 165, 168, 170, 231, 232, 255, 302, 303, 304, 304A, 364A, 382, 392,
393, 394, 395, 396, 397, 398, 399, 402, 435, 436, 449, 450, 456, 457, 458, 459, 460 and 489A, shall, in the
absence of reasonable excuse, the burden of proving which shall lie upon the person so aware, forthwith
give information to the nearest Magistrate 7[Justice of the Peace] or policeofficer of such commission or
intention.]
(2) For the purposes of this section the term “offence” includes any act committed at any place out of
2[Pakistan] which would constitute an offence if committed in 2[Pakistan].
45. Villageheadman, accountants, landholders and others bound to report certain matters.__(1)
Every villageheadman, villageaccountant, village watchman, village policeofficer, owner or occupier of
land, and the agent of any such owner or occupier 3[in charge of the management of that land] and every
officer employed in the collection of revenue or rent of land on the part of 4[the 5[Government]] or the
Court of Wards, shall forthwith communicate to the nearest Magistrate 7[or Justice of the Peace] or to the
officer incharge of the nearest policestation whichever is the nearer, any information which he may
6[possess] respecting__
(a) the permanent or temporary residence of any notorious receiver or vendor of stolen property in
any village of which he is headman, accountant, watchman or policeofficer, or in which he
owns or occupies land, or is agent, or collects revenue or rent;
(b) the resort to any place within, or the passage through, such village of any person whom he
knows, or reasonably suspects to be a thug, robber, escaped convict or proclaimed offender;
(c) the commission of, or intention to commit, in or near such village any nonboilable offence or
any offence punishable under section 143, 144, 145, 147 or 148 of the Pakistan Penal Code
(XLV of 1860) ;
(d) the occurrence in or near such village of any sudden or unnatural death or of any death under
suspicious circumstances; 8[or the discovery in or near such village of any corpse or part of a
corpse, in circumstances which lead to a reasonable suspicion that such a death has occurred or
the disappearance from such village of any person in circumstances which lead to a reasonable
suspicion that a nonbailable offence has been committed in respect of such person;]
1 Subs. by the Law Reforms Ordinance, 1972 (12 of 1972), s.2 and Sch., for subsection (1), which was amended by A.O., 1949, Sch.
2 Subs. by the Central Laws (Statue Reform) Ordinance, 1960 (21 of 1960), s.3 and 2nd Sch. (with effect from the 14th October, 1955), for “the Provinces and the Capital of the Federation” which had
been subs. by A.O., 1949, Arts. 3(2) and 4, for “British India”.
3 Ins. by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amdt.) Act, 1923 (18 of 1923), s.9.
4 Subs. by A.O., 1937, for “Govt.”.
5 Subs. by A.O., 1961, Art.2, for “Crown” (with effect from the 23rd March, 1956).
6 Subs. by Act 18 of 1923, s. 9, for “obtain”.
7 Ins. by Ord. 12 of 1972, s. 2 & Sch.
8 Ins. by the Code of Criminal Procedure (Amdt.) Act, 1923 (18 of 1923), s.9.
Page 32 of 319