Halloween celebrations: No militants involved in Peshawar’s night of horror

The city’s youth participate in an unusual gathering of ghouls and ghosts.

PESHAWAR:

Peshawar witnessed scenes of horror this Monday but they had nothing to do with militants, bomb attacks or violence. Instead, people enjoyed a rare celebration of Halloween at a local hotel on a cold winter night where around a hundred children gathered wearing costumes as per tradition.

The gathering took place in a large hall, draped in black and adorned with scarecrows, presenting an eerie atmosphere. The participants joked and played pranks on each other in the spirit of the occasion.

Farah Qamar, a young lady dining with her family, said that it was refreshing to see such events happening in Peshawar.

“Most of the time, people in Peshawar live under constant fear because of militancy. Such events provide people an opportunity to forget their problems and enjoy themselves,” Farah told The Express Tribune.

She said that she had heard of Halloween, but this was the first time she was taking part in it.

The hotel manager said that the event had been organised to provide a change for the youngsters living in a city constantly threatened by the Taliban.

“We arranged a small programme, but it has been a huge success. We will arrange bigger programmes in the future,” he said.

While Peshawar is a city that faces some very real threats every day and Halloween’s horrors cannot ward off the true horrors it witnesses, the enthusiasm expressed by young residents shows that the city still has an appetite for entertainment, even amidst the constant fear of terrorism.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2011.