10 April 2005	Sunday	30 Safar 1426

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ISLAMABAD, April 9: As many as 21 members of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) have submitted a private members bill to the National Assembly Secretariat seeking punishment for those companies and individuals indulged in using women in advertisements.

The bill, “Prohibition of Indecent Advertisements Bill 2005,” was submitted by the MMA members under Rule 100 of the Rules and Procedure for Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 1992.

The bill has defined the word “indecent” as those advertisements which are against the teachings of all religions and eastern values and traditions, promote licentiousness and damage the society.

Through the bill the MMA members have called for declaring the displaying or publishing of an “indecent advertisement” as a criminal and non-bailable offence. The proposed law has suggested a one-year imprisonment or a fine of Rs10,000 or both to a person who will commit the crime of displaying or publishing an indecent advertisement. Under the proposed law, a person could be given a five-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs50,000 or both for committing the crime again and again.

Besides this, the MMA members have also called for confiscation of the “indecent material” by a law-enforcement agency or court at any time. The bill also suggests action against the staff members of the companies involved in violation of the law. It has given right to every Pakistani national to file an FIR of the crime.

In the objectives and reasons of the bill, it is said that under Article 31 of the constitution, the government is bound to facilitate the Muslims of Pakistan so that they can spend their individual and collective lives in accordance with the teachings of Quran and Sunnah.