The National Assembly of Pakistan has passed the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Act 2025, introducing stricter punishments against the sale, distribution, and public performance of “obscene” material in the country. Under the amended law, the punishment for selling, distributing, advertising, or circulating obscene books, pamphlets, drawings, paintings, and other material has been increased from three months imprisonment to up to two years in prison, along with a fine of Rs200,000.

Under the amended law, the punishment for selling, distributing, advertising, or circulating obscene books, pamphlets, drawings, paintings, and other material has been increased from three months imprisonment to up to two years in prison, along with a fine of Rs200,000.

The amendment also expands the scope of the law regarding the sale of obscene material. Previously, the offence specifically applied to selling such material to individuals under the age of 20.

Under the new law, selling obscene books or material to any person, regardless of age, can result in up to two years imprisonment and a fine of Rs100,000.

The legislation also increases penalties for obscene acts and performances. Earlier provisions allowed punishment of up to three months imprisonment for obscene acts, singing, or utterances annoying others.

The amended bill now explicitly includes obscene “performances” and raises the punishment to one year imprisonment along with a Rs100,000 fine.

According to the Statement of Reasons attached to the bill, the amendments were introduced because obscenity has increasingly become a source of disturbance and annoyance in society, particularly affecting women.

The statement said the growing spread of obscene content and behaviour had become a serious social concern requiring stronger legal action to protect the public, especially women.

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