The Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Act 2011

^{^[1]}THE PUNJAB HOLY QURAN

(PRINTING AND RECORDING) ACT 2011

(Act XIII of 2011)

[2 May 2011]

An Act to ensure publication of the text of the Holy Quran

free from errors of printing and recording and proper

disposal of damaged or shaheed copies of the Holy Quran.

Preamble.– Whereas it is expedient to provide for publication of the text of the Holy Quran free from errors of printing and recording, for proper disposal of damaged or shaheed copies of the Holy Quran, and for ancillary matters;

It is enacted as follows:-

1. Short title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act may be cited as the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) Act, 2011.

(2) It extends to the whole of the Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions.– In this Act–

(a) “Ayah” means a sentence, clause or verse of the Holy Quran at the end of which the small round circle is given in the standard copy;

(b) “damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran” includes a sub-standard copy of the Holy Quran, damaged or worn out pages of the Holy Quran and other pages containing Quranic verses;

(c) “disposal” means collection and storage of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran and includes its burial under the ground or its disposal in the sea or river or recycling it in such manner as conforms to its holiness and sanctity;

(d) “Holy Quran” means the Holy Quran in the Arabic text, published in a complete form, or in the form of parts (Paaras) or chapters (Surahs), but does not include extracts published in a text-book, a prayer-book or a religious treatise;

(e) “prescribed” means prescribed by the rules made under the Act;

(f) “publisher” means a person or an association of persons registered under section 3 as publisher of the Holy Quran;

(g) “Quran Board” means the Quran Board constituted under section 4;

(h) “record of the Holy Quran” means the Holy Quran recited in human voice and recorded by any modern means of recording, conforming to the text contained in the standard copy;

(i) “recording company” means a person or an association of persons registered under section 3 as a recording company; and

(j) “standard copy” means a copy of the Holy Quran authenticated by the Quran Board as corrected and free from errors of printing.

^{^[2]}[3. Registration of publishers and recording companies.- The Punjab Quran Board may in the prescribed manner and on payment of prescribed fee and fulfillment of the prescribed terms and conditions, register a publisher or a recording company for purposes of publishing or recording of the Holy Quran.]

4. Quran Board.– ^{^[3]}[(1) The Chief Minister shall constitute a Punjab Quran Board comprising prominent Ulama, Huffaz and Qaris of all schools of thought amongst Muslims.]

(2) The Government shall cause a copy of the Holy Quran to be prepared, and shall forward it to the Quran Board for authentication as a standard copy.

^{^[4]}[(3) The Punjab Quran Board shall keep the standard copy in the Government archives for safe custody.]

^{^[5]}[(4) The Punjab Quran Board shall recommend steps for error-free printing and publication or recording of the Holy Quran and shall supervise the work of error-free printing and publication or recording of the Holy Quran.]

(5) The Quran Board shall perform such other functions as may be prescribed.

5. Publishing of the Holy Quran.– (1) A publisher may print the Holy Quran in off-set, photostat, photo-block or any other modern system of printing but he shall not print it in litho process.

^{^[6]}[(2) In printing the Holy Quran, a publisher shall not use paper prohibited by the Punjab Quran Board.]

(3) The publisher shall get his specimen copy and every recording company shall get its specimen record of the Holy Quran compared with the text of the standard copy by a person holding a diploma from a religious institution or a certificate of Moulvi Fazil or a qualified Qari who is also a Hafiz or a person trained in the job of proof reading in Arabic and have a certificate recorded by such a person at the end to the effect that the text and references do not contain any error.

(4) The publisher shall ensure–

(a) that the serial number of every chapter (Surah) is printed on every page and the serial number of every Ayah is inserted within the small round circle of every Ayah;

(b) that the cover page of every edition of the Holy Quran clearly bears the name of the publisher, the name of printing press, and the year of publication;

(d) on detection of any error or omission in the printed Holy Quran, the leaf on which it occurs is replaced by a fresh leaf free from such error or omission, in each such copy.

(5) The publisher shall not be penalized for non compliance with the provisions of clauses (a) and (c) of sub-section (4) unless he is found negligent in the performance of his duty.

(6) No translation of the Holy Quran shall be published or recorded without its Arabic text.

(7) No record of the Holy Quran which injures its sanctity, in any form, shall be prepared.

6. Literal distortion of the text of ayah.– Where, in a copy or record of the Holy Quran or in any extract thereof published in a text-book, a prayer book, a religious treatise or otherwise, any Ayah has been literally distorted, either by change of a word, or of sequence, or of Ea’rab, as to alter its meaning, the printer or publisher thereof, or, as the case may be, the recording company, whether or not registered under this Act shall, unless he or it proves that such distortion occurred only owing to a printing or mechanical error, be liable to the punishment provided for in section 9.

^{^[7]}[7. Translation or interpretation of the Holy Quran contrary to belief of Muslims.– ^{^[8]}[(1)] Where, in a copy or record of the Holy Quran, or in any extract thereof published in a text book, a prayer book, a religious treatise or any other book, an Ayah is translated, interpreted or commented upon, disseminated, uploaded, shared, produced, reproduced, converted into portable document through any information system or electronic device into cyberspace by any person contrary to the belief of Muslims, the author, the printer or publisher, or the person who prepared the record, downloader, creator, possessor, modifier, disseminator whatsoever, whether or not registered under this Act, shall, unless he proves that such translation, interpretation, commentary, dissemination, uploading, sharing, production, reproduction or conversion occurred only owing to a printing or mechanical error, be liable to punishment provided for in section 9.]

^{^[9]}[(2) Whoever willfully degrades, derogates and disrespect the Holy Quran or any part thereof while putting or writing it on any part of the human body in sacrilegious manner in any form of printing and recording (audio & video) including any electronic form through modern electronic devices or techniques on internet and social media for any unlawful purpose shall be liable to be punished under section 9 of this Act or any other law for the time being in force.]

^{^[10]}[8. Disposal of damaged or shaheed copies.- A publisher or a recording company shall make suitable arrangements in the prescribed manner for disposal of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran and shall comply with the directions of the Punjab Quran Board issued for proper disposal of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran.]

9. Penalty.– (1) A printer, publisher or a proprietor of a recording company who contravenes any provision of this Act or the rules made thereunder, or a person in whose voice a record is prepared, or a person who has certified under sub-section (3) of section 5, a specimen copy or record of the Holy Quran which is not in conformity with the provisions of this Act, ^{^[11]}[shall be punished with imprisonment which may extend to seven years but which shall not be less than three years or with fine which shall not be less than one hundred thousand rupees, or with both].

^{^[12]}[(1A) Whoever contravenes the provisions of section 7 with the intent to use the same in derogatory manner or for any unlawful purpose, shall be punished with imprisonment for life.]

^{^[13]}[(2) The Punjab Quran Board may cancel the registration of a publisher or a recording company which is convicted of an offence under sub-section (1).]

10. Offences by corporations.– If the person guilty of an offence under sub-section (1) of section 9 is a company or other body corporate, every proprietor, director, manager, secretary or other officer of the company or body corporate shall, unless he proves that the offence was committed without his knowledge or that he exercised all due diligence to prevent the commission of the offence, be deemed to be guilty of such offence.

^{^[14]}[10A. Cognizance of offences.– All offences punishable under this Act shall be cognizable and non-bailable.]

^{^[15]}[10AA. Designation of Law Enforcement Authority and Constitution of Special Cell.- (1) The Government shall, by notification in the official Gazette, designate any law enforcement agency or department for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) The Chief Minister shall, in consultation with the Punjab Quran Board, establish a Special Cell to be headed by the Director General appointed by the Chief Minister from amongst the officers in BS-20 preferably an officer having knowledge of information technology.

(3) The Special Cell shall consist of such members and officers as the Chief Minister may determine.

(4) The Special Cell shall have the powers and function to:

a) conduct research and ensure that the provisions of this Act are complied with;

b) analyze and enquire complaints forwarded by the Punjab Quran Board regarding commission of an offence under this Act;

c) seek record and assistance from any agency or person;

d) take up such other matters as may be specified through rules made in exercise of the powers conferred under section 11 of this Act; and

e) submit findings and recommendations to the Punjab Quran Board for further decision.

10AAA. Proceeding against Offenders.- (1) If the Punjab Quran Board does not agree with the findings / recommendations of the Special Cell, it may reject all or any part of the report so submitted and may advise the Special Cell to examine the matter again.

(2) The Punjab Quran Board may recommend legal action to any Law Enforcement Agency under this Act.]

^{^[16]}[10B. Trial of offences.– The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure 1898 (V of 1898) and the Qanun-e-Shahadat Order, 1984 (PO No. 10 of 1984) shall mutatis mutandis apply for the purpose of trial of the offences under this Act.]

11. Power to make rules.– (1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) In particular and without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may provide for–

(a) the constitution and functions of the Quran Board;

(b) the inspection of the copies and records of the Holy Quran printed or prepared before the commencement of this Act;

(d) the checking of all such copies and records of the Holy Quran as have not been certified under this Act as free from errors, at the expense of the publisher or recording company;

(e) the seizure of such copies or records of the Holy Quran in which there are errors which cannot, in the opinion of the prescribed authority, easily be corrected in print or record; and

(f) the disposal of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran.

12. Repeal.– (1) The Publication of Holy Quran (Elimination of Printing and Recording Errors) Act 1973 (LIV of 1973), in its application to the Province of the Punjab, is hereby repealed.

(2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Publication of Holy Quran (Elimination of Printing and Recording Errors) Act 1973 (LIV of 1973), anything done or action taken under the repealed Act, shall have effect as if the thing was done or the action was taken under this Act.

Schedule

[see section 5 (4) (c)]

Upper Side of the Page:

Serial Number of Surah

with caption as,

“________البقرہ ______”.

Page Number,

“______”.

Serial Number of Paara with opening words as,

“________تِلکَ رسُل ______”.

Lower Side of the Page:

Serial Number of Surah with Serial Number of concluding Ayah on the page as,

“_____سورہ۔۲ آیتہ۔۹____”.

Manzil

Serial Number of Surah with opening Ayah on the page as,

“______سورہ۔۵ آیتہ۔۵_____”.

^{^[1]}This Act was passed by the Punjab Assembly on 30 March 2011; assented to by the Governor of the Punjab on 30 April 2011; and published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated 2 May 2011, pages 38643-46.

^{^[2]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“3. Registration of publishers and recording companies.– The Government may, in the prescribed manner and on payment of prescribed fee and fulfillment of the prescribed terms and conditions, register a publisher or a recording company for purposes of publishing or recording the Holy Quran.”.

^{^[3]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“(1) The Government shall constitute a Quran Board comprising prominent Ulama, Huffaz and Qaris of all schools of thought amongst Muslims [3][out of whom at least thirty-three percent shall be women, if available.”.

^{^[4]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“(3) The Government shall keep the standard copy in the Government archives for safe custody.”

^{^[5]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“(4) The Quran Board shall recommend steps for error-free printing and publication or recording of the Holy Quran and shall, subject to the direction of the Government, supervise the work of error-free printing and publication or recording of the Holy Quran.”

^{^[6]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“(2) In printing the Holy Quran, a publisher shall not use paper prohibited by the Government.”

^{^[7]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021), for the following:

“7. Translation or interpretation of the Holy Quran contrary to belief of Muslims.– Where, in a copy or record of the Holy Quran, or in any extract thereof published in a text book, a prayer book, a religious treatise or any other book, an Ayah is translated, interpreted or commented upon by a non-Muslim contrary to the belief of Muslims, the author, the printer or publisher, or the person who prepared the record, whether or not registered under this Act, shall, unless he proves that such translation, interpretation or commentary occurred only owing to a printing or mechanical error, be liable to punishment provided for in section 9.”

^{^[8]}Inserted the expression by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022).

^{^[9]}Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022).

^{^[10]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“8. Disposal of damaged or shaheed copies.– A publisher or a recording company shall make suitable arrangements in the prescribed manner for disposal of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran and shall comply with the directions of the Government issued for proper disposal of a damaged or shaheed copy of the Holy Quran.”.

^{^[11]}Substituted for the expression “shall be liable to imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine of not less than twenty thousand rupees, or with both” by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021).

^{^[12]}Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021).

^{^[13]}Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022); for the following:

“(2) The Government may cancel the registration under section 3 of a publisher who or a recording company which is convicted of an offence under sub-section (1) [13][or sub-section (1A)].”

^{^[14]} Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021).

^{^[15]}Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act, 2022 (XLV of 2022).

^{^[16]} Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021).