Claim: Punjab has criminalised throwing currency notes at public gatherings, with violators facing an FIR, up to two years in prison, and a Rs 500,000 fine.
Fact: The Punjab government has not introduced a law imposing a two-year prison sentence or Rs 500,000 fine for throwing currency notes at public gatherings.
On 1 November 2026, the Instagram account Positive Pakistan shared a graphic claiming that the Punjab government would register First Information Reports (FIRs) against people throwing currency notes at public events, including dance performances, qawwali nights, and naat gatherings.
The graphic bore the headline, “No More Money Show-offs! Punjab Govt to Register FIRs for Throwing Cash at Events.” The accompanying caption claimed that offenders could face up to two years in prison and a Rs 500,000 fine under the “National Currency Defacement Act”.
Screenshot of Positive Pakistan’s misleading Instagram post.
Fact or Fiction?
No evidence of the claimed currency law
To identify the legal basis of the purported ban, Soch Fact Check examined the State Bank of Pakistan’s currency-related laws and regulations directory. It lists the Pakistan Currency Act, 1950, the Pakistan Coinage Act, 1906, relevant provisions of the State Bank of Pakistan Act, 1956, and Sections 489A to 489E of the Pakistan Penal Code, among other instruments.
The directory does not identify a law called the “National Currency Defacement Act”. Sections 489A to 489E of the Pakistan Penal Code concern counterfeit banknotes, their possession or use, and documents resembling currency. They do not mention the alleged two-year prison term or Rs 500,000 fine for throwing genuine notes at public gatherings.
Previous action against currency showering
A Dawn report published on 15 September 2026 said the Punjab Council of the Arts and the Information and Culture Department had issued notices to stage performers and theatre management over alleged violations of rules governing commercial theatre. Among the matters cited was the failure to prevent spectators from throwing money at performers.
Dawn reported on 18 October that police in Sahiwal registered a case against an assistant sub-inspector and a shrine caretaker after a video showed currency notes being showered on dancers at a shrine festival. The report identified Section 294 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 155C of the Police Order as the provisions invoked. It did not invoke the supposed currency defacement law.
These incidents show that authorities have taken action against throwing currency notes in particular circumstances. They do not, on their own, establish a new offence that automatically applies to throwing currency notes at all public events in Punjab.
Similar claim circulated in 2025
A similar claim circulated in April 2025, alleging that the Punjab government had banned throwing currency notes at weddings. Geo Fact Check reported on 29 May 2025 that three provincial officials denied issuing such a notification or imposing a ban.
AFP Fact Check independently investigated the claim in June 2025 and obtained similar denials from Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari and officials from the Home Department and police. These findings concerned the 2025 allegation and do not establish whether any new restrictions were introduced in 2026.
Virality
The false claim circulated widely on Facebook and Instagram in late October and early November 2026. We identified 24 posts sharing the claim, including Facebook reels, group posts, and images.
Conclusion: The claim that the Punjab government has introduced a two-year prison sentence and Rs 500,000 fine for throwing currency notes at public gatherings is false. No such law or province-wide penalty has been introduced.
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