PESHAWAR - Peshawar District Council and District Nazim Kohat on Friday formally imposed a ban on the celebrations of Valentine’s Day, terming it against Islamic injunctions and teachings. The Valentine’s Day is being celebrated across the world every year on February 14.
Not only to condemn the Valentine Day, but also impose a ban on its celebrations in the jurisdiction of provincial metropolis, District Council Peshawar unanimously passed a resolution.
District Council Peshawar’s member Khalid Waqas Chamkani of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) moved the resolution through which he said that Valentine’s Day was being celebrated worldwide on February 14 (tomorrow), which is totally against Islamic injunctions.
The proceedings of the District Council began with convenor Qasim Ali Shah in the chair. “Valentine’s Day celebrations mean to perverse and astray our young generation,” the resolution stated. Celebrations on Valentine’s Day are a Western tradition, it added.
The resolution further said that “Valentine’s Day has no place in our traditions and values. But, a specific Western-influenced segment in our society is bent upon weakening our Islamic values and traditions and working for promoting obscenity and vulgarity in the country”.
Thus, through this resolution, it was demanded of the District Government Peshawar to immediately impose a ban on programmes, functions and celebrations being planned in connection with Valentine’s Day. The resolution was passed unanimously.
Soon after the passage of the resolution, Convener Qasim Ali Shah directed Deputy Commissioner (DC) Peshawar to implement the resolution in letter and spirit.
Moreover, the DC told to impose Section 144 in Peshawar of banning all such celebrations regarding the Valentine’s Day.
Meanwhile, affiliated with Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), district Nazim Kohat Maulana Niaz Muhammad too imposed a ban on sale of Valentine’s Day cards and gifts and directed the police high ups to confiscate all such items from shops.
Issuing a notification, District Nazim Kohat banned sale of Valentine’s Day cards and gifts and holding any celebration related to Valentine’s Day in the district.
Moreover, the notification said that strict action will be taken against the violators. The district Nazim Maulana Niaz Muhammad directed District Police Officer to enforce the directives accordingly.
A local journalist while talking to this scribe said that there are around 25 shops dealing in gifts, selling cards and flowers for Valentine’s Day in Kohat City.
Talking to foreign media district Nazim Kohat Maulana Niaz Muhammad said that Valentine’s Day is un-Islamic., thus, its celebrations were banned. Apart from, this day has no legal position. I think, such celebrations can encourage obscene behaviour in our generation, he said.
He said that no need to give cards and gifts to each other on a special day. This Valentine’s Day not part of our culture, he explained.
It is worth mentioning here that Valentine’s Day is getting popularity in Pakistan, however, religious parties and groups had protested against this day’s celebrations in the past. On Valentine’s Day people show feelings of love, affection and friendship. It is celebrated in many ways worldwide and falls on February 14 each year.