Pakistan: Bannu clerics want family park shut. Women could not be allowed to roam freely and go to parks

From Dawn and the Express Tribune

On the call of local ulema, a large number of people, mostly clerics and seminary students, held a demonstration in Bannu city on Sunday to press the local administration to close down the city’s family park.

Before the protest, a meeting was held at a local mosque chaired by head of ulema committee Maulana Abdul Ghaffar. 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.

The protest leaders alleged that the establishment of the family park had promoted obscenity in the area. They said women visiting recreational places was not acceptable to them, and asked the local administration to close down the park. . .  warning the authorities to close the park otherwise they themselves will be responsible for the consequences.

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 local seminary student told The Express Tribune… that women could not be allowed to roam freely and go to parks in the district.