Music, transgender dance banned

In Katlang, Mardan district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the local Aman committee has enforced a stringent prohibition on dancing and music performances by transgender individuals at marriage ceremonies.

Salar Syed Kamal Shah Advocate, the head of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Aman Jirga, expressed their commitment to societal reform during a discussion with journalists on Tuesday.

He declared an outright ban on musical programs involving transgender persons in Katlang and its environs, emphasizing their unwavering determination to uphold this restriction.

Shah further asserted that decisive measures would be taken against individuals engaged in drug peddling within the region, denouncing drugs as a grave societal menace. He warned of strict consequences for those who defy the ban on musical programs, emphasizing the Aman committee’s dedication to eradicating this practice.

Read: Khyber clerics ban music, dancing by transgender persons at weddings

This decision emerged following a committee meeting, during which participants voiced concerns about the perceived issues caused by transgender persons and their dances, prompting an uncompromising stance against such activities.

It is noteworthy that this is not the first instance of local Jirgas imposing bans on music and dance in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. In a similar occurrence in July of this year, a coalition of tribal clerics took matters into their own hands, prohibiting music and dancing by transgender individuals at weddings in Khyber district.

The decision, announced unanimously by a gathering of 26 clerics, included a declaration that weddings featuring music and dancing would not receive the nikah ceremony from clerics.

A written letter signed by the clerics threatened severe consequences for those who resisted the order, including the denial of clerical involvement in the last rites of the entire family.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 6^th, 2023.