ISLAMBAD- Pakistan officials have banned advertising, events of Valentine’s Day for a second year in a row after the courts had rule the holiday is un-Islamic.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (Pemra), “No event shall be held at the official level or at any public place,” Pemra said. Perma is warning television and radio stations from any celebrations of the holiday.
“We’re Muslims. Our religion forbids things like Valentine’s Day,” said Taufeeq Leghari, who was waiting for transport close to a florist’s stall in Rawalpindi, adjacent to Islamabad.
The ban has been reinforced by Islamabad High Court, as the court was asked to act after a petition by a citizen who said the 14 February holiday was a cultural import from the West and “against the teachings of Islam”.
Majority of the Pakistan population is Muslim majority, with the majority of them under the age of 30. The young population over the years has embraced the marketing of Valentines, with many of them buying Valentine’s Day chocolate, flowers and hearts. But this has come with a huge wave of extreme religious groups and religious political activism.
The youth of Pakistan are not afraid of the ban “I will celebrate,” said 21-year-old university student Abid Ansari in Islamabad. “This is my choice.”
Photo Credit- History.com
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