Criminal law · For citizens
Standing surety? Read this first.
In short
Zamanat feels like a favour. If the accused runs, the court can make you pay the bond, attach your things, even send you to civil jail.
By the FAI Legal editorial desk · 10 October 2026 · 11 slides · 2 min read
Myth or fact?
What a favour feels like.
- Myth: Surety is just a signature. Nothing happens to me.
- Fact: If the bond is forfeited, the court may call on you to pay the penalty or show cause (CrPC s.514(1)).
The rule in the Code.
Section 514(1), CrPC.
“Whenever it is proved to the satisfaction of the Court … that such bond has been forfeited, the Court shall record the grounds of such proof, and may call upon any person bound by such bond to pay the penalty thereof, or to show cause why it should not be paid.”
Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 · Section 514(1), Procedure on forfeiture of bond
If he disappears.
What can happen to you.
- NoticePay the penalty or show cause (s.514(1)).
- Not paidYour movable property can be attached and sold (s.514(2)).
- Still unpaidCivil jail for up to six months (s.514(4)).
Quick quiz. He jumped bail.
Guess first, then swipe for the answer.
- A. Nothing, you only signed
- B. Up to the full bond amount
- C. Only the court fee
Answer: B. The full amount.
Courts are told not to be lenient.
- The Supreme CourtOnce an accused jumps bail, the entire surety amount is liable to be forfeited in the absence of mitigating circumstances (PLD 1997 SC 267).
- AppliedFull Rs 100,000 imposed where no effort to produce the accused was shown (2015 YLR 133, Sindh High Court).
What can reduce it.
The court may remit any portion (s.514(5)).
- No money takenSurety on humanitarian grounds: Rs 12,500 cut to Rs 5,000 (2010 YLR 466, Lahore High Court).
- Real effortsPenalty reduced where the surety tried to produce the accused (2013 MLD 872).
- You bring himSurety produced the accused: penalty set aside (2023 YLR 684).
Myth or fact?
Feeling trapped?
- Myth: Once I sign, I am stuck until the case ends.
- Fact: A surety may at any time apply to a Magistrate to discharge the bond (CrPC s.502(1)).
Two more things to know.
Most sureties never hear these.
- Death of suretyIf a surety dies before the bond is forfeited, his estate is discharged (s.514(6)).
- InstalmentsA surety was allowed to pay in four monthly instalments (2015 YLR 133).
Got a 514 notice?
Ask FAI in your own words. It answers with the exact section and the judgments behind it.
- I stood surety for my cousin and he ran away. The court sent me a notice. What now?
- Grounds to reduce a forfeited surety amount under section 514 CrPC.
Example questions
What this does not mean
- The court does not always take the full amount. It may remit any portion of the penalty (s.514(5)).
- You are not locked in until the case ends. A surety may apply to a Magistrate at any time to discharge the bond (s.502(1)).
- If a surety dies before the bond is forfeited, his estate is discharged (s.514(6)).
Questions people ask
What happens to the surety if the accused jumps bail in Pakistan?
The court may call on you to pay the penalty or show cause (CrPC s.514(1)). If not paid, your movable property can be attached and sold (s.514(2)), and if still unpaid, civil jail for up to six months (s.514(4)).
Will the surety have to pay the full bond amount?
It can be the full amount. The Supreme Court said that once an accused jumps bail, the entire surety amount is liable to be forfeited in the absence of mitigating circumstances (PLD 1997 SC 267).
Can a forfeited surety amount be reduced?
Yes, the court may remit any portion (s.514(5)). Penalties were reduced where the surety took no money and acted on humanitarian grounds (2010 YLR 466) or made real efforts to produce the accused (2013 MLD 872), and set aside where the surety produced him (2023 YLR 684).
How can I withdraw as a surety?
Apply to a Magistrate to discharge the bond. A surety may do this at any time (CrPC s.502(1)).
Can a surety pay the penalty in instalments?
In 2015 YLR 133 a surety was allowed to pay in four monthly instalments.
Sources
- Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 · Section 514(1)
Procedure on forfeiture of bond Pakistan Code
Educational legal information, not legal advice. Every case turns on its own facts. Speak to a qualified lawyer about your situation. Review status: Pending advocate review. How we check.
