Pakistan

Valentine's Day celebrations banned in Islamabad?

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner says interior minister did not pass any directions on Valentine’s Day celebrations

Obaid Abbasi February 10, 2016

PHOTO: EXPRESS

ISLAMABAD: After reports began swirling that the federal capital had banned the production of Valentine’s Day gifts or any promotion of the day celebrating love, the city administration has come out to deny any such development.

According to some electronic media reports, the interior ministry had directed the Islamabad Capital Administration (ICT) to not allow individuals and organisations to hold Valentine’s Day celebrations in the city.

However, ICT officials have now confirmed to The Express Tribune that they have not received any such orders.

“I’m surprised why electronic media are airing such baseless news,” Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Captain (retd) Muhstaq Ahmed said.

Valentine's Day sparks celebrations, protests in Pakistan

Regarding reports that Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar was chairing a meeting to consider banning Valentine's Day celebrations, the official said, "The minister called a meeting to review the law and order situation of the capital, and it was attended by officials of the administration and police."

"The minister did not pass any directions particularly to ban the Valentine’s Day celebrations," he added.

Further an interior ministry spokesperson, Muhammad Sarfraz, confirmed that they did not pass any direction in this regard. "The meeting was supposed to review the performance of police and Federal Investigation Agency," he said.

Earlier, media reports claimed that on the orders of Nisar, Valentine's Day celebrations were banned in the federal capital.

The February 14 celebration named after a Christian saint has repeatedly been criticised by hardliners who warn about the spread of 'un-Islamic' Western values.

In 2013, some celebrated Valentine’s Day with balloons and flowers, but others denounced the day as an insult to Islam. In Karachi, billboards decorated with a black heart urged citizens to “SAY NO TO VALENTINE’S DAY”.

“This tradition reflects insensitivity, indignity and ignorance of Islam,” the signs read. They were put up by a group affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami.

“Valentine’s is against Islamic culture. In our view, relationships are sacred. We have arranged marriages in this culture and people don’t get married for love,” said Syed Askari, a spokesman for Jamaat-e-Islami. “This is imposing Western values and cultures on an Islamic society.

Saad Aziz confesses to Sabeen's murder for holding Valentine's Day rally

In Peshawar, a handful of people burnt Valentine’s Day cards in front of television cameras. Women held signs denouncing the tradition. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) urged broadcasters to “respect viewers’ sentiments”.

Further, Saad Aziz, one of the culprits arrested for involvement in The Second Floor café director Sabeen Mahmud’s murder confessed to killing her for holding a Valentine’s Day rally. “We shot her for holding a Valentine’s Day rally,” Aziz reportedly said in his statement to the police.

Valentine’s Day has become increasingly popular among the Pakistani youth and is a money-maker for businesses in the country.

COMMENTS (41)

syed & syed | 8 years ago | Reply @Hassaan One should be ashamed to celebrate love affair of a European.We in Pakistan have many Asshiqs and Mashooqs i.e. Sheeren Farhad, Sassi Panoon Sohni Mahiwal.etc If foreign love affairs satisfies Mr Najnoo is there. Choose one and celebrate through out the year. Be a Pakistani Ashiq and be proud if you have nothing to do constructive

Raghu | 8 years ago | Reply @Trollslayer: Well our governments follow the Gregorian calendar and makes all the country follow it. In Saudia they folow both dates hand in hand. It depends on the government. I dont celebrate New year on 1 Jan. But i know many muslims do. Weeks ending on Friday is again a government move in order to link the stock market. In the middle east the weekend starts on Thursday. Other Languages can be used, there is no restriction on that.

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gravity saves | 8 years ago | Reply @N: Well o well. Religion is mere culture in your world. Great.

Salima H. K. | 8 years ago | Reply @Brainy Bhaijan: If you had read this whole instead of just the headline, you would've seen that it says the government has NOT banned valentine's Day celebrations in Islamabad. Yes, DURING Sharif's tenure! Now find someplace else where you WON'T end up degrading the credibility of your Pakistan-bashing.

Trollslayer | 8 years ago | Reply @ Point I wasn't aware millions were martyred for Pakistan. Was there a war with the British colonialists for independence that I somehow missed reading about. You use the Gregorian calendar and celebrate the new year on the first of January and your week ends on Friday, which are western customs not to mention the language you used to express your sentiments.

Farzana | 8 years ago | Reply @Hassaan Khalid: You should be ashamed for your comments.

Hassaan Khalid | 8 years ago | Reply This is oppression, it's sad to see a ban on the celebration of Love, this is against the spirit of freedom and sensibility, this is murder of liberty. This is just pitiful and absolutely foolish. There is no justification for this and the government should be ashamed of themselves, I protest against this.

Feroz | 8 years ago | Reply Ban love, embrace hate -- is this the ideology of Pakistan ?

Raghu | 8 years ago | Reply Who ever wants to celebrate it and be a liberal can take his party outside Pakistan.

Istaburg | 8 years ago | Reply @N ....following Islam is not a cultural practice...you are comparing apples and oranges...it is people like you who mislead by giving fallacious arguments. Islam has not culture....culture is from the land and people and their way of life...

Masood Hussain | 8 years ago | Reply Instead of banning the day of love, we should ban hatred and extremism that has plagued our country.

Saad | 8 years ago | Reply The Mullah-Without-Beard strikes again !!

Atheist | 8 years ago | Reply Pakis are funny people.

N | 8 years ago | Reply First please define what is our culture and what is not our culture. It is our culture to drink tea (Chinese culture) play cricket (British culture) or Polo (Afghan/Mongol culture) follow the religion called Islam (Hejaz Arabic culture), look down upon women who remarry after their husband dies (Hindu culture), have elections and democracy (Greek and American culture) speak Urdu (Turkic / Persian culture). I could go on and on and on going through history joining out thousands of things that were not our culture but today are our culture. Culture does not stay frozen, it changes through time and over time most cultures will find that they have been changed. There is no such thing as our culture. All that exists is our culture at this moment. This is all besides how ridiculous it is to ban the free choice of people to celebrate what they want.

sana | 8 years ago | Reply ok then they should ban all those molvis in mosques as well who are instigating hate and extremism in our society. We don't need them either.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply @Point:

You need to reed the basics of why millions got martyred for Pakistan. It wasnt to celebrate valentines day or christmas

Yes it was to setup Lal Masjid and allow it do its deeds. Thank you for making it clear.

Hameed | 8 years ago | Reply Ch Nisar can't offend Lal Masjid guys. Can he?

Tariq Hashmi | 8 years ago | Reply VD supporters should start from their homes first

Najeebullah | 8 years ago | Reply Great Idea, lets ban the only love day and celebrate hate day every day.

Bunny Rabbit | 8 years ago | Reply Ufff that time of the year when clowns ( read ...fanatics ... ) both side of the border make their presence felt by breaking / tearing / destructing love related things ... Some one should teach them about Laila Majnu / Kacha Devayani / Shirin Farad / Radha Krishna ... Theres nothing 'Western' about love / attraction .

Point | 8 years ago | Reply @Brainy Bhaijan: You need to reed the basics of why millions got martyred for Pakistan. It wasnt to celebrate valentines day or christmas but celebrate Eid which you probably doesnt celebrate the way you cry for vday.

vinsin | 8 years ago | Reply @Pankaj: Pakistan is an Islamic country as of now by constitution, not a liberal as yet so justified. They should also ban democracy, electricity and internet as those also represent western values.

Istaburg | 8 years ago | Reply This ,if true is a very silly edict...you cannot ban a celebration which does not require permission or any over physical activity over which state can exercise any control. All they can do is shut down flower shop and raid restaurants .... which will look very silly also.... how does one prove that a Valentine day is being celebrated..... Another absurd move from the Saudi funded and minded Nawaz Government..... who seem to feel threatened if any liberal activity is conducted.... fearing that the money giver in Riyadh will frown.... indeed it is not our culture to celebrate Valentine.... but rather than " banning" it ... it would be much better educate our youth on what our culture really is through the family unit ... ( which btw is not Burqahs and ankle length shalwars) Indeed we are an Islamic state, but you cannot force people to do things you can only set good examples and encourage good behaviors.... it is not the state's job micro manage celebrations but set the bigger regulatory and social picture which encourage behaviors in harmony with Islamic values....

Muhammed Ali | 8 years ago | Reply Good news, after all we are muslims, people seem to forget that, in their quest to become westernized they cross all limits. Valentines along with many other western gimmicks has no place in Pakistan

umiff | 8 years ago | Reply My thoughts regarding chaudry nisar is right you Are more better and clever then any pmln leader i understaand why Ik Wants you in his party. Good decision this is an islamic country.

Pankaj | 8 years ago | Reply This is intolerance. If a group of people dose this, it should be understood but government itself is imposing such bans.!!

Ishrat salim | 8 years ago | Reply Good action by the govt. This is not our culture to celebrate VD.

Dong | 8 years ago | Reply I swear to God this sentence sent chills down my spine "We have arranged marriages in this culture and people don’t get married for love". If people think that marriage is not about love then we are doomed as a society.

Besharam Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Good decision though the intentions are suspicious. He is the same person who ordered police not to question people carrying few bottles of liquor or marijuana

Unknown | 8 years ago | Reply Only under the leadership of Molvi Nawaz Shareef

Burhan Khan | 8 years ago | Reply Valentines day may be a useless tradition but by banning it Pakistan will provide a great headline for newspapers around the world. This also speaks volumes about the governments priorities, allowing marriage of 9 year old girls, disallowing sex education, allowing terrorist sympathisers to flourish, banning YouTube etc

Mamu | 8 years ago | Reply Boys are happy to give gift's on this day. But when their sister gets a gift, they get angry. Say No to this day! It is a shame for our society.

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply Killing isn't banned?

Pakistani | 8 years ago | Reply I do not celebrate Valentine day, but its ridiculous to ban it

Raghu | 8 years ago | Reply Thank you Chaudry Nisar. Respect.

Abdullah | 8 years ago | Reply Good decision

Asad | 8 years ago | Reply Ch. Nisar has nothing else to do?

Parvez | 8 years ago | Reply Abdul Aziz is encouraged........but Valentine is banned.......soft image of Pakistan.

Saad Nazim | 8 years ago | Reply A day dedicated to "LOVE" will never settle well with us I suppose. We'd rather prefer martyrs day (Hoorayy!)

Jamhoor | 8 years ago | Reply Interior Minister and Maulan Abdul Aziz are the same person.

Brainy Bhaijan | 8 years ago | Reply So much for nawaz sharif's liberal pakistan. The unfortunate point here is that nawaz needs nisar in his team for some odd reason. Mr. nisar is also the reason why that lal masjid terrorist roams freely on the streets of islamabad with his jihadi brigade.

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