This is not the first time a group of men have banned women from shopping alone. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Imam of Madina Masjid Karak city Maulana Mir Zakeem, Imam of Maki Masjid Maulana Ismail, Imam of Tehsil Masjid Maulana Ziaul Islam and Imam of Kala Masjid Maulana Misbah issued the decree during Friday sermons in their respective mosques. The clerics added they have also sent an application to district government officials to consider the matter.
When contacted, Karak DPO Atiqullah Wazir confirmed a group of clerics visited his office in the morning to talk about the restriction, adding he could not meet them due to his busy schedule.
“I cannot pass such orders,” Wazir clarified, stressing no one is allowed to restrict women from shopping. He added if the clerics were concerned about the safety of women, he will deploy women police personnel in the city for their protection.
The DPO said women from other districts can also visit Karak to shop. “The police will protect you,” he said, adding though the clerics have delivered such sermons, no one can restrict women from going to bazaars.
This is not the first time a group of men have banned women from shopping alone. On July 21, 2012, DSP Sanaullah Khan, deployed at Sarai Naurang tehsil in Lakki Marwat, allegedly tried to ban women from entering local markets without male family members. A show-cause notice was later issued to the DSP after which he said he took the decision keeping in view the sanctity of Ramazan.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 20th, 2013.
COMMENTS (33)
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Wow, impressive well if women are the only reason to be insecure other men or face any kind of threat ,why don't you trained male member of the society and impose such sanction or restrict them, if the male member of society respect women how, anyone else theat her and create anykind of other problems
@Tony Singh:
I would ask you, for your own sake, to avoid descending into tit-for-tat anecdotes about crimes against women vis-à-vis Hindustan and Pakistan - that incident you mention occurred several weeks ago now, and since then we were treated to yet another example of the Hindustani male mindset when a large group of men assaulted four minors, aged 12 and under, repeatedly.
You forget that this odious 'Hudood Ordinance' in Pakistan that you mention has never been exercised to incriminate any rape victims. You probably also forget that it was a Pakistani director who was recently decorated for making a ground-breaking film looking into acid attacks against women, a scourge which is seeing increasing popularity across the border nowadays. You probably also forget that Delhi has recently been dubbed the rape capital of the world, and that aside from a few affluent Brahmins, the majority of women are considered open targets for anyone who is of a sufficiently high 'caste' - so if you don't like lectures from the rest of the world, I suggest you roll your sleeves up and start cleaning the mess you've made of your society.
Hasan
@Hasan: We have a problem and we acknowledge it. We are not hiding behind some law which says "Bring four male? witnesses" and then we will register an FIR for rape By the way did you hear, not in distant past, a man in Pakistan dug up the dead body of a young girl and raped her? So sir please stop lecturing. The fact is women safety is an issue and should be dealt with rather than finger pointing.
@Aysha M: Pleasantly surprised to see you applying reason, logic and common sense:) A fresh breath!
Next decree: "No girls allowed to be born in Pakistan, only boys or Ghilmans."
This is how you prepare Rape and Molestation.. Absolutely!
Make women prisoners in their own homes, no rape, no hurt.. Everyone's happy. Women do not count.
@Hasan: This guy living in a well not knowing what's going on outside world.
@Ayesha:
LOL...sounds suspiciously like yet another Hindustani, posting under a fake ID and trying to find a way of 'celebrating' the hideous rape culture that is gradually becoming the hallmark of Hindustan. What is wrong with you people? Instead of looking for excuses to bring up such backwardness so that you can put your ridiculous positive 'look at the protests' spin on it, just keep your head down - and certainly don't pass comment on Pakistan's attitude to women, which, shameful as it may be, is generations ahead of Hindustan's.
Some of our frustrated neighbours here are unfortunately forgetting that Pakistan's female workforce is in fact growing; that the proportion of girls graduating is growing ever higher; that we have women representing at all levels in the armed forces, including the recent graduation of our first female fighter pilot. They also seem to overlook the fact that this 'decree' by a two-bit mullah was rejected outright, because it ran counter to the fabric of society. Let's compare all of the above to what we know about Hindustan, with its glowing reputation for 'satti', female infanticide, and let's not forget equal opportunities public transport in Delhi. I know where I would rather be.
Hasan
I also support "Like YouTube the famale sex should be completely blocked " +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ But then what about the female Paratroopers?
If only Pakistan had 1/1000th of the clerics and jahalat pasand maulvis - these people have nothing better to do with their life than to make other's life more difficult to stay relevant. Pakistan should promulgate a amendment that nobody but an elected official (whose incompetence is another discussion) is allowed to come up with any rules or mores. As Army has gone back to barracks - mullahs need to go back to masjid and stop meddling in peoples lives.
Dear All!
We are sorry for such news from our peace loving , highly educated district karak. The highest literacy rate district after Islamabad and Wah cant , you can say the highest educated district in Pakistan where khattak tribe reside only while in Islamabad and wah cant migrants live mostly. Other thing in our area karak the Law is followed , Islamic but not conservative , our womens live freely and they are happy from the mens. But the group of Mullah "Khattak Etihad" announced such ban but it does not mean that they have power and the people are agree to them as i told you no one can ban us from doing any thing as per our fundamental rights. The current news is just Politics because the Khattak etihad was formed for solving economic and Gas related issues and they failed to do so now they making such stunts.
I think this is an Israel-India-USA conspiracy to send Pakistan back to the stone ages.
A few years ago, Donald Rumsfeld, the then US Secretary of Defense, under George Bush, threatened to 'bomb Pakistan back to the stone ages'.
He need not bother carrying out that threat. Pakistan is already very much in the stone age and racing backward fast.
@Asif Butt:
Thanks sir. Much humbled :)
@Punjabi: What good a male companion gonna do anyway? Terrorism threat and bomb blast threats is still gonna be there anyway. These celerics just dont want to let go of anyway to push this country back to dark ages.
Once again a case of a victimless crime- unless you are a woman caught by one of the crazies..
oh yes ban women from public life and promote marriages with prepubescent children!
@Vishnu Dutta:
Excellent suggestion Dutta sab. Im a fan already.
If men have such a problem with women going out to the market alone, why don't they stay at home themselves to save them from the horror of seeing a woman (GASP) in a market alone (GASP x2).
Tribal people will do tribal things. Why are we surprised? In North America, there are so many issues within the Native Indian communities but media never bother to report them.
@Z.Khan:
Obviously, you don't even see or know the difference between performing simple chores like buying your food and groceries or other needs of the family, and "roaming alone whole night". We are a stone-age country and have people with stone-age mentality. The mullahs are destroying our country and are the biggest obstacle in the path of progress and development which, unfortunately, is not the destiny of Pakistan, It would be nice, for a change, if people protested against the personally-motivated autocratic form of issuing fatwas by these mullahs who are, clearly, following their own personal agenda, oblivious to the harm their so-called decrees can cause irreparable damage to the people. Imran Khan will, apparently, hug these thugs in the name of religion and work out some deal for his own benefit. Religion has become a tool more than a guiding principle for attaining inner peace and ethical living. As a woman, I join the ranks of millions of other women who feel they are being trampled under the feet of bigots and conniving politicians and military. I many times envy the women in Bangladesh and other smaller countries (not to speak of our big neighbour India where women are in controlling positions and can demonstrate their power). I was amazed to see the surge of protests and demonstrations by millions, including many men, against the recent rape incidents in India. Pakistan, on the other hand, is programmed to move towards destruction and doom, when you hear the attitude of chauvinist mullahs and their ilk.
Clerics are just trying to prevent love affairs and illegal sex. Burqa alone does not seem to be working.
A better law would be every man leaving house should be accompanied with his wife, sister, mother etc so he cant tease any woman shopping alone. That will protect the moral character of the pious man from single women who just come out of their houses to attract the man.
Makes more sense to me.
Welcome to "Kingdom of Pakarabia"
@Logic europe: Yes because this catagory poses the biggest danger. In non Islamic logical Europe women roam about whole night alone and no one bothers them.
Don't worry, these clerics will only get bolder as PTI brings them to the discussion table for 'talks'
Selective interpretation of religion for political ends can only do harm.
Safety from whome? Muslim brothers in Ramadan ?
This time i think we should blame the mindset rather than Taliban or Extremists as the easiest scapegoat will be some extremist but the reality is that the people who are deciding and abiding are in great numbers and live among us and supported by many.
We dont need Armitage to send us to stone age, we have sufficient skills and man power to go down that path successfully
Well.. I am not against the clerics... & partially DO SUPPORT their point of view as well about women safety while on road... However it can be done if there are no other "SERIOUS" issues on hand like terroism / target killing... As a nation we are at war... & molanaz are worried if the coming weekend Saima goes to shopping alone or with brother Saeed..