06 February 2005	Sunday	26 Zilhaj 1425

PESHAWAR, Feb 5: Major component parties of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) will support two private bills, moved in the provincial assembly, seeking a ban on music and dancing at all public places and educational institutions in the province.

Senior leaders of the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) said that the treasury benches would support the private bills moved in the House on Thursday.

Senior Minister Sirajul Haq told Dawn here on Sunday that the proposed bill suggested placing a ban on music and dancing only at public places, including bus terminals and other places.

"The bill will not affect citizens's liberty at all," said Mr Siraj, who is also provincial chief of the JI.

He recalled that Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani in his maiden speech announced to ban music at all places which disturbed people.

A treasury bench member, Mian Nadir Shah on Thursday tabled two private bills in the assembly suggesting that music and dancing in public places and educational institutions and using photographs of women in advertisements be declared penal offences.

Mr Siraj said that some people had reservations about the implications of the bill, which he termed "incorrect".

He said that if the law was enacted it would not affect the freedom of the common man. "The bill has proposed only to ban music and dancing at public places and has nothing to do with the private lives of the people," Mr Siraj insisted.

He said, "People are free and can enjoy music in their houses even after the enactment of the law," and added that the bill had suggested banning music in commuter vehicles, hotels, etc.

He said that educational institutions were set up to spread knowledge, not music and dancing.

He was of the view that there was not a single educational institution in the province where music or dancing was taught.

The MMA provincial spokesman, Mufti Kafayetullah, said that the treasury benches would support all those bills which promoted Islamic values in the area.