Mixed reaction on New Year celebrations

Islamabad: A mixed kind of reaction came up from the general public about New Year celebrations with some thinking it an invasion of the western culture and others terming it a way of expression of good wishes for the upcoming year.

"Celebrating the arrival of new year is part of the western culture and our local traditions have nothing to do with it. How can we appreciate a culture in which youngsters leave aside norms and ethics and follow in footsteps of the European people," said Amina Akram, a resident of G-10 Sector.

She said Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan never ever allowed unethical activities in hotels, recreational spots, markets and even on roads on the pretext of New Year celebrations and "I think this is the way to deal with such kinds of activities that are contrary to our local culture."

Nadeem Bajwa, a student of a local university, said New Year celebrations are part of the cultural events but some segments are deliberately trying to make it controversial in the eyes of the people. "This region has a culture of celebrating social events and the New Year celebrations are very much part of the local norms and traditions.

“The people start New Year with hope and happiness and organize events to show their feelings all over the world. So making this event controversial will serve no purpose except to promoting extremist thoughts in the society," he said.