A notification issued by Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat stated that the ban would be imposed for a period two months. The reason behind the ban is to protect the sanctity of verses from religious scriptures and revered names.
The notification said that newspapers with holy words and verses printed on them were commonly used by traders to wrap up various commodities in order to preserve them.
According the deputy commissioner, the use of newspapers with sacred text as packaging provided sufficient grounds for the imposition of Section 144 to forbid their usage as packaging for the preservation of commodities.
Recently, a ban on the use of polythene bags was also imposed in the capital territory. That ban had been motivated by the need to protect the environment. In light of the fact that polythene bags are extensively used to carry goods in Pakistan, there is a dire need to find substitutes. One such substitute is newspaper, which is frequently used as a form of packaging. The ban on both polythene bags and newspapers will be a serious headache for the residents of the capital territory, with no substitute widely available for use as of yet.