Pindi spring festival called off after police raid

Police register FIR, arrest 18 for spreading ‘obscenity’ at ‘Maut ka kuwaan’

RAWALPINDI:

The Rawalpindi spring festival (Jashan-e-Baharan Mela) under the Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) was called off after police raided the event, claiming that “nudity” was being spread in the name of entertainment at the “well of death” (Maut ka kuwan).

The cancellation of the event cost millions of rupees to the PHA, which had been making preparations for the public mela, being held after a hiatus of almost three years. The event could not be held after the outbreak of the coronavirus in 2020.

Sources confirmed that the festival was to be inaugurated on March 19 at 7 pm as per the schedule, but on March 18, the New Town Police Station Aizaz Azeem and his team raided the event on March 18, forcing the contractor to wrap up his belongings including equipment and the “well of death” and flee.

 Later, the PHA administration attempted to reopen the mela on March 21 but the contractor refused to come back with the entertainment equipment.

After the contractor’s refusal, the festival was cancelled and folk singers, who had been invited to the festival, were informed not to show up for the event. A Sufi night and a flower exhibition were also scheduled to be held but they had to be cancelled, the sources said.

According to the sources, the New Town police registered a case and arrested around 18 employees working at the “well of death” on charges of spreading nudity and obscenity.

Confirming the cancellation of the mela, PHA spokesperson Naina Asharq said that the termination was a sad thing that it would provide good entertainment to the citizens and the best arrangements had been made.

She said that the contractor had made a lot of investment for the festival. The spokesperson denied that any obscenity was being spread saying it was pure entertainment.

The spokesperson also said that the rain also spoiled the event. She said that they will try to arrange the festival after Eid-ul-Fitr.

She said that earlier the coronavirus stopped them from holding the event and last year, the political situation of the city affected the festival.

“This time around, the police raided and the rain did not allow the fair to take place. Preparations for this fair had been going on for a month-and-a-half,” the PHA spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, New Town SHO Aizaz Azeem said that the police duty officer was informed that gambling was under way at the well of death. He claimed that the gambling was going on despite a ban.

He said that Jashn-e-Baharan Mela should be held according to rules and a no-objection certificate should be obtained from all authorities concerned.

“How can transgenders’ dance and display of weapons be allowed in the name of Jashn-e-Baharan Mela,” he said.

With the abrupt end of the festival, the citizens of Rawalpindi were once again deprived of entertainment.

The PHA had organised the festival at the Allama Iqbal Park Rawalpindi, where private companies had installed stalls of food and drink items.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 25^th, 2023.