ISLAMABAD: As wall-chalking badly affects the beauty of cities, the Islamabad district administration has decided to launch a crackdown on those involved in the activity during which cases will also be registered against them.

Deputy Commissioner Irfan Nawaz Memon has directed strict action against those involved in wall-chalking either doing it for business or political purposes. He also directed officials concerned to remove wall-chalking across the city so that the original look of ‘Islamabad the beautiful’ could be restored.

A spokesperson for the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration said First Information Reports (FIRs) will be registered against the advertisers on walls.

“Teams have been established to check the walls across the city and remove wall-chalking. Teams will be headed by Assistant Commissioners (ACs) and secretaries of Union Councils will also be part of the teams.

First information reports will be registered against the advertisers on walls

“Moreover, Capital Development Authority (CDA) will also be taken onboard,” he said.

Meanwhile, the deputy commissioner appealed to the residents to identify wall-chalking and inform the administration about it.

He claimed that the beauty of Islamabad will be restored by completely removing wall chalking.

It may be mentioned that in the year 2016, the then Senator Azam Khan Swati had launched a campaign to eliminate wall-chalking.

He had also moved a bill in parliament.

The ‘Islamabad Prohibition of Expressing Matters on Walls Act 2016’ was moved to prohibit the expression of matters on walls in the ICT.

“Whoever affixes or causes to be affixed any poster, bill, notice, placard of other paper or means of advertisement on a wall or writes on any wall with chalk or paint or in any other manner whatsoever with the intention to attract public attention to that matter shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years but which shall not be less than one year or with a fine which shall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees or with both,” the bill stated.

Mr Swati had claimed that the object of the bill was to prohibit the expression of matters on walls in the federal capital.

“Presently, no law has affixed any penalty for wall chalking or writing different expressions on walls. Writings on walls tarnish the urban scenery and beauty of the city. This bill strives to proscribe and discourage people from putting expressions on the walls of the city,” he had claimed.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2025