PPC Section 21

Section 21. "Public servant".

The words "public servant" denote a person falling under any of the descriptions hereinafter following, namely:—

Second: Every Commissioned Officer in the Military, Naval, or Air Forces of Pakistan while serving under the Federal Government or any Provincial Government;

Third: Every Judge;

Fourth: Every officer of a Court of Justice whose duty it is, as such officer, to investigate or report on any matter of law or fact, or to make, authenticate, or keep any document, or to take charge or dispose of any property, or to execute any judicial process, or to administer any oath, or to interpret, or to preserve order in the Court; and every person specially authorized by a Court of Justice to perform any of such duties;

Fifth: Every juryman, assessor, or member of a panchayat assisting a Court of Justice or public servant;

Sixth: Every arbitrator or other person to whom any cause or matter has been referred for decision or report by any Court of Justice, or by any other competent public authority;

Seventh: Every person who holds any office by virtue of which he is empowered to place or keep any person in confinement;

Eighth: Every officer of the Government whose duty it is, as such officer, to prevent offences, to give information of offences, to bring offenders to justice, or to protect the public health, safety or convenience;

Ninth: Every officer whose duty it is, as such officer, to take, receive, keep, or expend any property on behalf of the Government, or to make any survey, assessment or contract on behalf of the Government, or to execute any revenue process, or to investigate, or to report, or any matter affecting the pecuniary interests of the Government, or to make, authenticate, or keep any document relating to the pecuniary interests of the Government, or to prevent the infraction of any law for the protection of the pecuniary interests of the Government, and every officer in the service or pay of the Government or remunerated by fees or commission for the performance of any public duty;

Tenth: Every officer whose duty it is, as such officer, to take, receive, keep, or expend any property, to make any survey or assessment or to levy any rate or tax for any secular common purpose of any village, town or district, or to make, authenticate, or keep any document for the ascertaining of the rights of the people of any village, town or district;

Eleventh: Every person who holds any office in virtue of which he is empowered to prepare, publish, maintain or revise an electoral roll or to conduct an election or part of an election.

Illustration

A Municipal Commissioner is a public servant.

Explanation 1: Persons falling under any of the above descriptions are public servants, whether appointed by the Government or not.

Explanation 2: Wherever the words "public servant" occur, they shall be understood of every person who is in actual possession of the situation of a public servant, whatever legal defect there may be in his right to hold that situation.

Explanation 3: The word "election" denotes an election for the purpose of selecting members of any legislative, municipal or other public authority, of whatever character, the method of selection to which is by, or under, any law prescribed as by election.