LAHORE: In an attempt to end obscenity in the commercial theater, the Punjab government has approved amendments to the 150-year-old Dramatic Performances Act 1876, transferring the administrative affairs of the dramatic performances from the home department to the Information and Culture Department. The act will now be called ‘Punjab Theatrical Performance Ordinance 2023’.

Punjab Council of the Arts (PCA) Executive Director Syed Bilal Haider, considered to be the force behind the new law, told Dawn that efforts to address vulgarity and nudity in commercial theatres had never proved beneficial because of many legal complications and loopholes in the Dramatic Performances Act 1876.

Pointing out legal complications and loopholes, he said the PCA, the largest and oldest cultural organisation in the province, had a clear mandate to preserve the culture and promotion of art but the mandate was limited to reading the drama scripts and getting them approved by the committee consisting of renowned writers.

On the other hand, according to him, the deputy commissioner office and home department were mandated to monitor any irregularities, like obscene behaviour, in the commercial theatre. In case of any irregularities, the representatives of the DC office could make a report and send a request to the home department for further disciplinary action.

But by the time the action was taken, the drama performance would mostly be over and the artistes, actors, actresses would have left for other theaters, escaping the action. Section 10 (a) of the Punjab Council of the Arts Act 1975 empowered the PCA to advise the government on all matters of policy related to artistic and cultural activities. For this purpose, a committee was constituted by the council to review the Dramatic Performances Act 1876 and proposed the amendments. The committee reviewed the law and proposed amendments to make it an effective legal instrument in order to achieve its real objective.

New law transfers powers from home to culture dept in a bid to regulate theatres

Under the approved Punjab Theatrical Performance Ordinance 2023, the PAC will make its rules of business regarding commercial theatres in which all the mandate from script to monitoring and disciplinary action will be the subject of the PCA under the Information & Culture Department.

According to sources, the new rules of business are likely to include new posts in the PCA and its separate drama department. The source also added that the sections are also being framed in new rules of business under which an immediate action, even during the drama, will be taken accordingly. The penalties and punishment include fines, ban, licence suspension and sealing of the theatre.

During the caretaker government in Punjab last August, when Amir Mir was the caretaker minister for information and culture, the government had sealed more than 10 mega commercial theatres of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Kasur for violating the Drama Act (Dramatic Performances Act 1876) and promoting obscenity through women dancers.

About two weeks later, the theatres were unsealed by the Lahore High Court.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2024