- Punjab's Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz announced strict punishments for manhole cover thefts
- Theft or sale of manhole covers can lead to 1-10 years imprisonment and fines up to Rs 50 lakh
- The law was triggered by deaths from open sewers, including a mother and infant near Lahore
In cash-strapped Pakistan, the punishment for the theft of a manhole cover could be 10 years in prison and a fine of up to 50 lakh Pakistani rupees. The so-called 'Gutter Law' was announced by the Chief Minister of Pakistan's Punjab province, Maryam Nawaz, who is also the daughter of former Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif.
In a video that has gone viral on social media, Nawaz was seen warning people who are stealing, buying, or selling manhole covers of strict punishment.
"Ham subh laga ke jate hain, sham tak gayab ho jata hai. Gutter ke dhakan chori na kare (We fix the manhole covers in the morning; by night they are gone. Don't steal manhole covers," she said, lamenting the growing problem of manhole cover theft.
"Anyone who steals, sells, or buys manhole covers will face 1 to 10 years in prison, and if it results in someone's death, the punishment will be 10 years' imprisonment along with a fine of up to Rs 50 lakh (Pakistani rupees)," she added.
What Triggered the Strict Punishment?
The immediate trigger behind the strict punishment was reportedly an incident in which a mother and her daughter died after falling into an open sewer line near Lahore's Data Darbar area recently. Police said Sadia and her infant daughter, Rida Fatima, fell into the manhole on January 29, while development work was underway.
In another incident, a child fell into an uncovered drain in Sargodha city but survived after being pulled out in time. But these were not one-off incidents. From Lahore to smaller cities, uncovered drains have led to several deaths in Punjab province, forcing political attention.
Why People Are Stealing Manhole Covers
As per media reports, the cases of theft stem from poor economic conditions in Pakistan. The manhole covers have iron rings – roughly weighing 30 kilograms-- attached to them, which could fetch a decent amount in scrap markets.
According to a 2025 World Bank report, around 45 per cent of Pakistan's population lives in poverty, with 16.5 per cent classified as "extremely poor". Worse, the country was projected to add 1.9 million more people to the poverty count in 2024-25, largely due to sluggish economic growth and population pressures.
