IHC bars Valentine’s Day celebrations

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) here on Monday directed the government to ensure that no publicity and promotion of Valentine’s Day would be made through the media and no such event would be held at public places.

Justice Shaukat Aziz Siddiqui of the IHC was hearing a petition of a G-9 resident Abdul Waheed.The petitioner, through his counsels Majid Nadeem Bhatti and Shafqat Ullah Khan, advocates, had adopted that the matter relates to the feelings, emotions, norms and values of the Muslim community at large.

An IHC bench in its order directed the respondents including media regulators “to ensure that nothing about the celebration of ‘Valentine’s Day’ and its promotion is spread on electronic and print media. No event shall be held at official level and at any public place. Chairman Pemra is directed to ensure that all the TV channels shall stop the promotion of Valentine’s Day, forthwith.”

The petitioner cited the Federation of Pakistan through secretary Ministry of Information, secretary Ministry of Information Technology, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) through its chairman, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) through its chairman, and Chief Commissioner Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) as respondents.

The IHC bench also issued notices to the respondents seeking their reply and parawise comments in 10 days’ time.The petitioner submitted that in the cover of spread of love, in fact, immorality, nudity and indecency is being promoted, which is against our rich traditions and values. Electronic and print media are promoting the event, that is neither an event for Muslims nor Pakistanis. If somebody wants to profess about this, he can do so in personal capacity and not like the Eid festival.

That as per Constitution of Pakistan, the government shall make all reasonable arrangements to promote Islamic values and culture throughout the country without discrimination. That in the past a number of programmes was telecast on different media channels with regard to so-called (Valentine’s Day) on February 14 every year.

Media channels were promoting the idea to celebrate this day. Special parties and events were organised at public and private places to celebrate this day. Traders of Islamabad used to decorate their shops with balloons, cards and gift items clearly promoting the idea of Valentine’s Day.

The petitioner adopted that celebrating this day is against Quran, Sunnah, Islamic injunctions, values and culture of our society. The petitioner further adopted that celebrating such events particularly at public places is against the Islamic norms and values. It was responsibility of the respondents to prevent such activity not only in the media but at the public places as well.The petitioner prayed to the court to direct the respondents to take all measures in preventing such activities to happen either through the media or at public places.