ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain has urged Pakistanis not to observe Valentine´s Day, the romantic holiday that hardline Muslim clerics want banned but officials in the capital say they cannot suppress.
The president criticised Valentine´s Day, which falls on Sunday this year, as a Western import that threatens to undermine the Islamic values of Pakistan.
Despite its roots as a Christian holiday, Valentine´s Day has gained popularity among Pakistanis, with flower vendors reporting booming sales this year, as in recent years.
"Valentine´s Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided," Hussain said at a ceremony celebrating a nationalist leader.
Local media reported earlier in the week that Islamabad would ban celebrations on Valentine´s celebrations as an "insult to Islam", but city officials later said such a rule would be unenforceable.
The northwestern city of Peshawar, near the Afghan border, has banned Valentine´s Day celebrations, local media said.
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