"The situation is under control now. Three students were wounded in the clash," says a local police official . PHOTO: REUTERS
Students threw rocks at fellow students, forcing the police to intervene. Violence escalated as the students pulled out weapons and started firing at police officers as well.
The police also fired back and thirteen students were taken into custody.
The students also set three rooms of the hostel on fire.
"The situation is under control now. Three students were wounded in the clash," local police official Fazalur Rehman told AFP, adding that police were searching for the students involved to arrest them.
One student had a gunshot wound to his hand, he added.
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Valentine's Day is increasingly popular among younger Pakistanis, many of whom have taken up the custom of giving cards, chocolates and gifts to their sweethearts to celebrate the occasion.
But Pakistan remains a deeply traditional Muslim society where many disapprove of Valentine's Day as a Western import.
COMMENTS (46)
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@Jag Nathan: While I agree with your sentiment and the question you posed to fellow commentator (I thought the same thing), your question is flawed and illogical. The person you responded to said Valentine's Day has no place in Islam, no mention of Pakistan itself; for the sake of my sanity, I will ignore that part of his question and stick to your response. If India is a secular nation as it has claimed for decades, then yes, there is a place for Ramadan and Eid and Christmas and Easter and Hanukkah and all other festivals and holidays of a religious or non religious nature simply because there has to be, whether people want it or not. If and when Pakistan decides to let go of the already barely existing "Sharia" on the books, then theoretically, every festival will have to be accepted and allowed.
The dichotomy among the people of Pakistan is astounding. We do not have to be one or the other; one can be a Pakistani and ALSO have a different belief system (Muslim, Hindu, Christian, Jewish, Atheist, Agnostic, etc). Separating factions of people this way will result in failure. On the contrary, homogenizing a country with more than 190 million people will also result in failure. We don't have to be divided and we don't have to be identical either. Live and let live folks. Cheers.
Dear ET,......please? :)
@Jag Nathan: Boring? Explosions almost every week. Killing almost everyday.
Then the complete opposite end of the spectrum: partying in the wee hours of the night, black market for liquor and hash and a variety of other drugs of choice. Who'd be bored in a place like that?
Every nations constitution should have a fundamental right enshrined in it - Freedom from religion.
valentine day is also a kind of festival. you can say festival of love. but there must not be any vulgarity
Why the Police has failed to take an action to prevent this imminent clash? Any notice from the Chief Minister? Will anyone be suspended for failure to prevent this clash? Any accountability in KPK?
Simple Answer!
If you do what west does your are civilized, enlightened vision, progressive nation, your Women's are free, you are tolerant.
If you do not and ask for respect of your culture, values, and above all Religious Beliefs. Than you are violent, fundamentalist, uncivilized, women freedom haters and terrorists.
Let's not be sell outs. Let's respect our women's and restore there Honor instead of showing them off in the public, taking of their clothes, and making them a medium used to sell our products better and faster.
@Lt Col Imtiaz Alam (retd): Who decides that there is no place for Valentines Day in Pakistan. Do you? May I using the same logic demand Ramazan &7 Eid have no place in India?
There is a VERY careful avoidance here of mentioning WHICH group of students started the violence and which group fired at the police. From which group were the arrests made ?? . I wonder if this is because YET AGAIN islam demonstrates that the ONLY way it can make a point is by IMPOSING it's values through violence , intimidation , threats , bigotry and intolerance. Is islam SO weak and so insecure that it cannot accept ANYTHING that is outside it's own remit?.
Pakistan is a country less than 100 years old,even some Europe countries have issues with Valentine day,it is religious based,Valentine was a Christian saint
@ria:
Ria is against humanity and sanity, we condemn it. Indian vibes pouring out of you are quite visible.
You Pakistanis don't know how to celebrate life here on mother earth. You guys live for a fictitious tomorrow where Allah waits for your arrival with 7a gift of 72 virgins. This one real life you live here, you spend blowing each other up, slitting each others' throats and living a life that the vast majority of the people on this planet abhor. You have a faith system that will not allow you celebrate life, its colors, its beauty, music, dancing, science and just about anything that Providence bestowed on us for us to enjoy. Life should be pretty boring as a Muslim in Pakistan.
@good momin: Constructive approach.
Credit to this paper for posting this item.No other paper thought it proper to put it up. Can any one of the above throw some light on the origin of this day?
Valentine day is very hard on us girls in Islamabad. All boys from god knows where come to forcibly give us 'presents' and feel that today they can freely touch and grope us freely like they stare at us on normal days. This day month is a nightmare for us. Sadly I support jamaat on this issue.
http://www.expatwoman.com/dubai/monthlyshoppingdealsvalentinesdayindubai10359.aspx http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-17032476 http://www.yourmiddleeast.com/news/saudi-valentines-defy-the-love-police21605 No one can stop people from showing their love.
I wonder what happened to the pretty red balloons? Last I saw them was before the desho desho happened. Valentines day won just because this happened, and that too in Peshawar. You can't stop the signal.
Its nothing to do with Haya or Be-Haya. These people hate women so much that they don't like anyone having natural love. KP government should arrange Gay Pride Parade for them.
Naya Pakistan in action.
The real story is very different...
The Jamiat students were angry as they did not receive any valentine's cards...
They felt the other students on campus should have sent them some for all their efforts to spread peace and love in Pakistan
So they rioted to ensure next year they receive some sweet love...
The Jamiat is misunderstood, all they really is need love...
Both need NOT be mutually exclusive.
What did IK celebrate? HAYA DAY, I guess, because he says he is very "sharmila"!
p r sharma makes an excellent point too. Sad that people are forced to not celebrate valentines but all these jamatis don't seem to mind the fact that the whole country is bleeding because of religious extremists.
When will Pakistan move to the civilized world?
I don't support valentines day (against Islam unless you gift your wife) but I definitely don't support violence. Why do the religious people mainly turn to violence? Whether its jamati students in Punjab harassing girls and burning buses, whether its SOME women in niqab thinking they are superior when they are driving erratically, whether its men in beards and topis thinking they can treat any woman badly simply because she may not be all covered in black like the way you want. Seriously. This superior attitude needs to stop. I'm going to live my life and however I do I create my khabar that way. Anyways pretty dumb to be celebrating it publicly in Peshawar especially when women are shunned for showing their faces which is very common so what would they say to intermingling ? ET I am hoping you post this u know.
wow! it must ridicule the people throughout country, yeah! we have students, who mostly are gun handed in stead of stationary.We really need to grow up because these little feuds are leading us to great peak of degradation.
Reminds me of India 15 years ago.
Will there be a peace day or blast free day be observed in Pakistan ?
@Aiman Kay: Tolerance..The country was founded on intolerance and incompatibility..This is bound to happen..
@ria: You have right to condemn it.... but not by force!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@ria: You can shove the condemnation up the "Khyber Pass"
I wonder which group started throwing the stones...Maybe they should re-name "Haya" day as "Jahil" day.
We should accept that we are backward society. What is wrong in it if we follow advance societies.
Be-Haya-ee on Haya Day from both sides ... :-(
One injuring others in the name of Islam and the others injuring others in the name of love. This is insane. Our society need to learn tolerance which is common in Islam and Western society.
when will these people grow up.. is this freedom ??
"Naya Pakistan" lol
I am unable to understand what is wrong with Jamati. Why cant they mind their own business!!!!
Why do we have to be so extreme? Why can't we practice moderation and leave each to his own?
So, 'haya' has to be enforced, while shooting people is acceptable.
valentine day is against pakistan culture.... we condemn it .....