The government of Sindh has put many laws to stop the misuse of loudspeakers in place, but their implementation has remained questionable. This is because the laws have always been openly violated and the violators remain scot-free. Most of the violations are done in the name of religion or entertainment. Loudspeakers continue to deafen the silence in residential areas, mostly throughout the night. Moreover, while earlier, this would only happen occasionally and over the weekends, the practice is becoming more common and is not restricted to any particular time of the day. A lot of schools have opened up in houses in residential colonies and their use of the external sound system for morning assemblies, which continues for almost an hour, is a norm. Some schools also use loudspeakers to direct students during their physical training classes.
The Sindh Sound System (Regulation) Act 2015 aimed at regulating and controlling the use of sound system in the province. The law allows the use of “external sound system at a public place and during reasonable hours with prior permission of the government or an officer authorised by the government”. The violation of this act is a punishable offence – the offender can be imprisoned for six months and/or be fined Rs 25,000 minimum. But the open violation of this very clear act shows the apathy of the government functionaries who are responsible for its implementation. This is a serious issue and violates the rights of citizens to live peacefully. Students preparing for exams, patients suffering from illnesses, children who are scared of loud noises suffer because of the laxity shown by the government in implementing the act.
Iqbal Hussain
Karachi