NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE PROHIBITION OF DANCING ACT, 1974 5TH JULY, 1974 N.-W. F. P. ACT NO. IV OF 1974

THE NORTH WEST FRONTIER PROVINCE PROHIBITION OF DANCING ACT, 1974
5TH JULY, 1974
N.-W. F. P. ACT NO. IV OF 1974.
First published after having received the assent of the Governor of the North-West Frontier Province in the Gazette of North-West Frontier Province (Extra-Ordinary,) dated the 5th July, 1974).
AN
ACT.
to prohibit dancing in the North-West Frontier Province.  

    

Preamble

WHEREAS it is expedient to prohibit dancing by a woman in a public place in the North-West Frontier Province;

It is hereby enacted as follows:—

Short title, extent and commencement.

1.         (1)        This Act may be called the North-West Frontier Province Pro-extent of Dancing Act, 1974.

(2)  It extends to the whole of the North-West Frontier Province except the Tribal Areas.
(3) It shall come into force at once.

2.         In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires, the following expressions shall have the meaning hereby respectively assigned to them, that is to say—

(a)     "dance " with all its grammatical variations shall mean the dance performed for money consideration or reward;
(b)     "Government" means the Government of the North-West Frontier Province;
(c)     "public place" includes any house, room, tent, enclosure, road, lane, bridge, square or any other place to which the public are admitted to witness a dance on payment of money or other wise.

Penalty for dancing in a public place

3.         (1) Dancing by a woman in a public place shall be an offence. (2) Any woman found guilty of an offence under this Act, shall be punished with fine which may extend to! 1(two thousand rupees)

1.   Substituted for the words "five hundred rupees" by N.-W. P. P. Act IIl of 1985. Section 2 (a)

(3)   Any woman, having been convicted of an offence under this Act, again commits an offence under this Act, shall be punished for every such subsequent offence with simple imprisonment which may extend to 1(three months") or with fine which may extend to (four thousand rupees), or with both.

4.         (1) If a District Magistrate, any Magistrate of the First Class or any Police Officer not below the rank of an Inspector has reason to believe that any offence under this Act has been, is being or is about to be committed, he may enter any public place and arrest any woman who, in his opinion, has committed, is committing or is about to commit such offence.

Power to enter and arrest.

(2) It shall be the duty of the officer arresting any woman under subsection (1) to make a report of the circumstances under which the arrest was made to the nearest Police Station and to release such woman on bail if sufficient bail be tendered for her appearance before police officer or before a Magistrate, as the case may be.
(3) When any woman is arrested under sub-section (1), the person arresting her shall, if sufficient bail not tendered, send her to the nearest Police Station, with a report of the circumstances under which such arrest was made.   

5.         No Court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act except on the complaint in writing made by an Inspector of Police of the area in whose jurisdiction the offence is alleged to have been committed.	Cognizance of offence
6.         Government may make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.	Power to make rules.

1.   Substituted for the words "one month" and the words "'one thousand rupees" respectively by N.-W. F. P. Act III of 1985, Section 2 (b).