Hundreds of local clerics and their supporters staged a protest against the family park in Bannu district, demanding of the authorities to shut it down.
The protesters said that thousands of couples visited the park on August 14 which is against local traditions. They added that such parks promoted vulgarity.
The family park was established in the Bannu Cantt and opened for general public a year ago, raising eyebrows and inviting criticism from ultra-conservative circles.
On the Independence Day, however, when thousands of couples visited the park, this created resentment among local clerics.
On Sunday students of religious seminaries staged a protest outside the family park as well as Bannu Press Club, warning the authorities to close the park otherwise they themselves will be responsible for the consequences. They said that no vulgarity under the cover of entertainment could be allowed in Bannu and there is no place for such parks in the district.
They chanted slogans against the district as well as park administration and warned that women would not be allowed in parks by any means.
“A meeting was held of all local clerics first at Masjid Hafiz Jee in which a decision was made to stage a protest after which the protest demonstrations were held,” a local seminary student told The Express Tribune.
He said that women could not be allowed to roam freely and go to parks in the district. Later the district administration invited the leading clerics for table talks to solve the matter. Negotiations were underway till the filing of this report.
“Locals residents stayed away from the protest but still there were around two thousand students of seminaries and the authorities feared they could attack the park,” said an official, adding that fortunately they didn’t take law into their own hands.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 22nd, 2022.
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