A family dispute over the ownership of a small shop in Patoki, Kasur district, has taken an unusual turn, leading to the arrest of a mobile shop owner under the Punjab Sound Act 2015. The incident stemmed from a feud between two brothers who both claimed ownership of the same property, resulting in a bizarre case that has sparked debate about police conduct and the misuse of minor laws.
According to police officials, Muhammad Farooq, who runs a mobile repair shop in the disputed premises, was arrested on Thursday after a video surfaced showing him playing a song at high volume inside his shop. The video, reportedly recorded on October 22, was handed over to police by one of the brothers involved in the property dispute.
Patoki Station House Officer (SHO) Mehar Muhammad Irshad confirmed that a case was registered under Section 6 of the Punjab Sound Act, which restricts the use of loudspeakers and high-volume sound systems in public spaces. He added that the offence was bailable, and the accused was later released on personal surety.
Dispute Between Brothers Escalates; Legal Experts Criticize Police Action
After his release, Muhammad Farooq told that he was being victimized due to the ongoing feud between the two brothers, Habib and Ali, who are fighting over shop ownership. Farooq claimed that he has been paying rent to Ali, but that Habib enjoys police support and allegedly used the noise complaint as a pretext to harass him.
“Is listening to Madam Noor Jahan’s song such a crime that a dozen police officers came to arrest me like a terrorist?” Farooq remarked.
Sources revealed that two similar cases have been filed recently in Punjab — one involving a rickshaw driver in Okara accused of playing music too loudly.
Supreme Court lawyer Rana Khan criticized the growing trend of registering such cases directly without due process. He clarified that, according to the Loudspeaker Act, police are legally required to first issue a warning before filing an FIR. If the warning is ignored, the case must then be referred to the area’s elected representative for counseling.
Khan emphasized that direct case registration not only violates the individual’s dignity but may also constitute legal overreach. He added that citizens falsely accused under such laws could file defamation suits against the officers involved.
