THE MUSIC IN MUSLIM SHRINES ACT, 1942 
(VII of 1942) 
CONTENTS 
1. Short title and extent. 
2. Definitions. 
3. Punishment for singing or dancing in Muslim shrines. 
4. Punishment for abetment. 
5. Procedure. 
 
TEXT 
1
THE MUSIC IN MUSLIM SHRINES ACT, 1942 
(VII of 1942) 
[1st May, 1942] 
An 
Act 
to restrict singing and dancing in Muslim Shrines. 
It is hereby enacted as follows:– 
1. Short title and ext ent.– (1) This Act may be called the Music in Muslim 
Shrines Act, 1942. 
 (2) It extends to the whole of the Punjab. 
2. Definitions.– For the purposes of this Act the expression “Muslim shrine” 
shall mean a shrine of a recognised Muslim saint and shall incl ude the premises of 
the shrine and the premises owned by and attached to the shrine. 
3. Punishment for singing or dancing in Muslim s hrines.– If any woman or 
girl sings to the accompaniment of a musical instrument or dances with or without a 
musical instrument in a Muslim shrine, she shall be guilty of an offence under this 
Act and shall be liable on conviction to be punished with fine not exceeding five 
hundred rupees or with imprisonment of either description for a term not exceeding 
six months or with both such fine and imprisonment. 
4. Punishment for abetment.– If any person abets an offence punishable under 
the last preceding sectio n, he shall, whether such offence be or be not committed in 
consequence of such abetment, and notwithstanding anything cont ained in section 
116 of the  
2
[Pakistan]  Penal Code
3
, be liable on conviction to be punished with the 
punishment provided for the offence. 
5. Procedure.– An offence punishable under this Act shall be cognizable, 
bailable, non-compoundable and triable by a magistrate of the first class. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
1For Statements of Objects and Reasons, published in the Punjab Government Gazette, 1941, Part V, p. 37; for Report of the 
Select Committee see ibid., pp.  56-57 and ibid., 1942, pp.  13-16; for Proceedings in Assembly, see Punjab Legislative 
Assembly Debates, Volume XIV, pp. 782-789 and Volume XVIII, pp. 251-252 and 674-687. This Act received the assent of His 
Excellency the Governor-General on April 25, 1942 and published in the Government Gazette (Extraordin ary), Punjab, dated 
May 1, 1942, p. 53. 
2Substituted for the word “Indian” by the Punjab Laws (Adaptation, Revision and Repeal) Act, 1954 (XV of 19 55), published in 
the Punjab Gazette (Extraordinary), dated January 21, 1955, pp. 87-108, s. 2 read with First Schedule.  
3XLV of 1860.