Pak Parl clears Bill to regulate loudspeakers

The bill,moved to amend an ordinance of 1965 in its application in Islamabad,was passed by the National Assembly or lower house of parliament in November.

The government has contended that the amendment would serve as a deterrent to growing sectarianism and the incitement of religious hatred during sermons and speeches.

Anyone found guilty of misusing loudspeakers can be punished with a one-year prison term and a fine of up to Rs 50,000.

An unnamed official was quoted by The Express Tribune newspaper as saying that religious leaders belonging to different schools of thought were misusing loudspeakers and promoting hatred.

“This breeds violent sentiments among different sects,” he said.

The Interior Ministry has contended that sectarianism is a major threat and the ordinance will provide a mechanism to control the misuse of amplifiers and loudspeakers.

The 1965 ordinance was last amended in 2007.

Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf had directed police stations to send written directives to leaders of mosques in Islamabad not to misuse loudspeakers.

Since then,mosques have been allowed to use their loudspeakers only for the ‘azan’ (the call for prayer) and Friday sermons.

However,many clerics in Islamabad refused to accept the ban and defied the government’s directives.

Abdul Qudus,a spokesman for Wafaqul Madaris,an alliance of seminaries,welcomed the new law and said mosque administrations had been following the law since 2007.

“These punishments should not be just for ulemas. The authorities should also take notice of open concerts,pressure horns in vehicles and playing of loud music in houses,” he said.

Speaking in parliament,lawmaker Muhammad Ibrahim of the Jamaat-e-Islami claimed the new law was discriminatory as it only touched the issue of sectarianism and barred leaders from speaking against “un-Islamic acts of the government”.

He questioned whether the law would cover the use of amplifiers and loudspeakers for any “un-Islamic act”.