PUNJAB HOLY QURAN (PRINTING AND RECORDING) ACT 2011

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THE PUNJAB HOLY QURAN (PRINTING AND RECORDING) 
ACT, 2011 
(XIII of 2011) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title, extent and commencement 
2. Definitions 
3. Registration of publishers and recording companies 
4. Quran Board 
5. Publishing of the Holy Quran 
6. Literal distortion of the text of ayah 
7. Translation or interpretation of the Holy Quran contrary to belief of 
Muslims 
8. Disposal of damaged or shaheed copies 
9. Penalty 
10. Offences by corporations 
10A. Cognizance of offences 
10B.  Trial of offences 
11. Power to make rules 
12. Repeal 
SCHEDULE 
TEXT 
1
THE PUNJAB HOLY QURAN (PRINTING AND RECORDING) ACT, 2011 
(XIII of 2011) 
[2nd 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 c ited 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; 
                                                 
1This 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 38643-38646. 
(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. 
                                                 
2Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.2. 
3Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.3. 
4Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.3. 
5Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.3. 
6Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.4. 
 (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 p ress, and the year of 
publication; 
(c) that every page of the Holy Quran bears the indication given in the 
Schedule; and 
(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) unle ss 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 Q uran which injures its sanctity,  in any form , 
shall be prepared. 
6. Literal d istortion 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 A ct shall, unless he or it prove s 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 in to 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.] 
                                                 
7Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment)  Act 2021 (XX of 2021), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30th June 2021, pp. 10051-10052 s.2. 
8Inserted the expression “(1)” by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printin g and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), 
published in the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.5. 
  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 p ublisher 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 ye ars 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 un der 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, 
                                                 
9Added by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the  Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.5. 
10Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the 
Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.6. 
11Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2021 (XX of 2021), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30th June 2021, pp. 10051-10052 s.3. 
12Inserted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and R ecording) (Amendment) Act 2021 ( XX of 2021), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30th June 2021, pp. 10051-10052 s.3. 
13Substituted by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the 
Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.7. 
14Added by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment)  Act 2021 ( XX of 2021), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30th June 2021, pp. 10051-10052 s.4. 
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 Q uran 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 membe rs 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.] 
16[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.] 
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;  
(c) the prohibition of the sale of copies and records of the Holy Quran 
containing errors;  
                                                                                                                                                        
15Added by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amendment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.8. 
16Added by the Punjab Holy Quran (Printing and Recording) (Amend ment) Act 2022 (XLV of 2022), published in the Punjab 
Gazette (Extraordinary), dated: 30 December 2022, pp. 3003-3005, s.8. 
(d) the checking of all such copies and records of the Holy Qura n 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 aut hority, 
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,  
 
“_______
  ______”. 
 
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_____”.