Driver granted bail in fatal Pakistan car crash, family forgives suspect

The driver involved in the fatal road accident that claimed the lives of a father and daughter in Karachi, Pakistan was granted bail, along with her husband.

The court's decision came on Friday following the family's submission of a no-objection certificate, stating that they had forgiven the suspects "in the name of Allah."

The bail for Natasha Danish, who was driving the vehicle and was in custody for manslaughter, was set at PKR 100,000, while her husband's bail was set at PKR 50,000.

The family of the deceased, 60-year-old Imran Arif and his 22-year-old daughter Amna, who were killed in the accident, confirmed that the pardon was given without any monetary settlement or external pressure.

Affidavits of family members of the deceased, declaring 'no objection' on pardon of accused. @malikasif678 via X

The lawyer representing the victims' family clarified that no blood money (Deeyat) was paid, emphasizing that the decision was made for moral and religious reasons. However, Natasha will remain in custody as she faces separate charges related to narcotics.

On August 28, Sindh Inspector General (IG) of Police Ghulam Nabi Memon told Dawn.com that Natasha was under the influence of methamphetamine (crystal meth) while driving.

As a result, the police filed a separate First Information Report (FIR) against Natasha under Section 11 (related to intoxication punishable by Tazir) of the Prohibition (Enforcement of Hadd) Order (PEHO) of 1979. In Islamic law, Tazir is punishment given by the judge.

A hearing on the narcotics case is scheduled in two days (September 9).

The fatal accident occurred on August 19 when Natasha’s speeding Toyota Land Cruiser collided with three motorcycles and another car on Karachi’s Karsaz Road, before overturning.

Imran and his daughter Amna were killed in the crash while three others were injured, with one person still in critical condition.

Following the accident, Natasha was arrested and charged with manslaughter. Her husband, Danish Iqbal, was also named in the investigation and later granted protective pre-arrest bail by the Sindh High Court.