The Punjab Special Powers (Press) Act, 1956

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The Punjab Special Powers (Press) Act, 1956 empowers the state government to control press publications and restrict the entry of printed materials to maintain public order and communal harmony. It applies to printers, publishers, editors, and distributors operating in or sending publications into the specified territories of Punjab. Under the Act, authorities can prohibit the publishing of sensitive topics, require mandatory inclusion of official notices, mandate pre-publication scrutiny, or ban external publications. It matters because it grants broad state powers to restrict freedom of speech and the press during public order crises, penalizing non-compliance with imprisonment, fines, or equipment seizure.

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0. Preamble
1. Short title, extent and commencement.
2. Power to control publications.
3. Power to prohibit entry into the territories specified in sub-section (1) of section 5 of the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966.
4. Penalty.

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