Punjab

Cops shut down dance party in Lahore after cleric's threat

Bata Pur SHO said that over 2,000 people were attending the party

Our Correspondent May 11, 2017

File photo of a dance party. PHOTO: FILE

LAHORE: A dance party was brought to a grinding halt on the call of a religious cleric over the weekend, reports emerging from the city on Wednesday said.

Sunni Tehrik Lahore President Maulana Mujahid Abdul Rasool threatened police to either stop a party at Sozo Water Park immediately or “face the music”, officials confirmed.

Bringing modern fusion of opera, Sufi music to Pakistan

Subsequently, the police and district administration ordered organisers to pack up and leave the venue right away, despite the fact that organisers obtained the approval of the deputy commissioner. Talking to The Express Tribune, Lahore Sunni Tehrik President Molana Mujahid Abdul Rasool said, “I will not let any such party take place; at least in Lahore.”

Bata Pur SHO said that over 2,000 people were attending the party, but it had to be stopped after a recorded message of the cleric started circulating among senior police officials.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 11^th, 2017.

COMMENTS (24)

Imran Sheikh | 7 years ago | Reply If the music was loud and disturbing others beyond a reasonable hour the police were required to shut down the party on a public complaint. However a warning to the organisers to be more considerate was enough. Arrests were unreasonable unless the police instructions were defied. This is done regularly here in Toronto also. If the interference by a member of the public was on the grounds of personal dislike of such parties and no law was being broken the police should have told him to mind his own business unless an offense was committed. If the police saw a real potential threat from him to the revellers who were not breaking any law they should have detained this complainant for a few hours and let him off with a caution after the party was over. A professional police force enforces the law, without taking sides.

Rambo | 7 years ago | Reply @k: Mature people dont do such stuff.

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Mamu | 7 years ago | Reply @326: The constitution says that the country will be lead by the principles of Islam.

Xman | 7 years ago | Reply looks like the mullah got offended by a few people having a little fun.

Hassan Sarwar | 7 years ago | Reply Very well done such parties should be discouraged otherwise they will ruin our culture

sheraz | 7 years ago | Reply very good action from moulana. this is not libral Pakistan. it is islamic republic of pakistan.

Azam | 7 years ago | Reply Very well done. This is Islamic Republic of Pakistan. The law of the country is that it will follow Islam. Dancing like monkeys with no regard to modesty is against the law of the country. If anybody wants to dance they should dance within their houses.

Billa | 7 years ago | Reply Allah is watching. He is watching mullah also.@Rollin & Trollin:

Raheel | 7 years ago | Reply Mullahs are still dictating the country! If Dance party is unIslamic then pass the bill and update the law No individual should have authority to take the law in his hands Government should take the notice and warn that Mullah from issuing such statements

Furqan | 7 years ago | Reply I love this maulvi - at least he had the guts to openly come out against the elite class ! Bravo !

ibrahim | 7 years ago | Reply Amr bil maroof wanahi an il munkir : not only do we need to call people towards the good but we also need to stop them from doing whats bad....besides this qur'anic verse there are many ahadith which openly advise us to stop something bad with our hands our condemn it or atleast feel bad about it in our heart....seeing someone committing a sin openly and not doing anything about it makes us as much a criminal as the person who is doing it. I appreciate what this Maulana sahib has done...May Allah keep him blessed and protected and guide us all.

Uzzi N Khokhar | 7 years ago | Reply Retarded clerics can't mind their own bizwax.

IfellSick | 7 years ago | Reply The comments here make me feel more sick than the mullah! To all the self-righteous citzens of "Islamic Republic of Pakistan", it is not about whether the party should have occured. It is about how dare a Mullah threaten citizens of the county against his potential backlash. HOW DARE HE? The people who were at the party did not threaten him or his faith in any way. Tomorrow, I can come outside of your house and tell you that I do not like your face. Either you need to disappear or face the "wrath of my workers". I would like to see the police vacating you from your house!

Rollin & Trollin | 7 years ago | Reply @Barzukh: Their job first and foremost is to mind everybody else's business, you shouldn't worry, Big Brother is watching.

Bunny Rabbit | 7 years ago | Reply what an irony coming from Lahore - the eternal city of fun / pleasure / arts / music / dance patronised by Mughal emperors .

Danish Raza Kazmi | 7 years ago | Reply Maulana Sahab should not be allowed to threat any one .Islam is not the name of forcing any one. A person should have the right to choose his path.This act by Maulana is totally condemable...

Danish Raza Kazmi | 7 years ago | Reply Maulana Sahab should not be allowed to threat any one. Islam is not the name of Forcing any one.It is the right of a person to choose his path.This act by Maulana is totally condemable.

k | 7 years ago | Reply @Arbaz Ahsan Ranjha: If i am a law abiding, Mature, Tax payer legal citizen of a country then why i cant enjoy? who has the right to interfere in my personal life?

Mir Masjidi | 7 years ago | Reply @Ali: @326: And what exactly was there to dance about ? Ramadan is soon upon us; are these people trying squeeze in an extra bit of frivolity just before the onset of the holiest of months ? Or are they celebrating the construction of a new metrobus line ? Whatever the reason, and taking in view the Hadith, if music is to be made, it should be only with a one-sided drum, nothing more.

Barzukh | 7 years ago | Reply Mullah should mind his own religion not others as each individual is answerable for his own deeds.

326 | 7 years ago | Reply LOL. so instead of locking the cleric behind bars, they shut down the party that was pre-approved. Who is this cleric to order police and threat public? Is he IG police? Where in constitution it says that a cleric can dictate his terms to a Pakistani security institution and to Pakistani awam? Where are we heading? What are you doing to my country? Where is the people independence?

Raghu | 7 years ago | Reply Salute to the cleric. I support him. Regards, A citizen of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.

Arbaz Ahsan Ranjha | 7 years ago | Reply Totally support this act by sunny jamat

Ali | 7 years ago | Reply What about thousands of stage dramas and obscenity which is going on in Lahore at Al'Hamra Hall?

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