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Women asked to stay away from Qaqlasht festival

Speaking at a news conference along with Mr Abdullah, the festival’s executive committee member, Maulana Yousuf claimed that the people of Chitral had already welcomed the decision of banning women from the festival in order ‘to maintain Chitral’s Islamic environment, traditions and culture’. He said letters had been sent to all women educational institutions, mosques and Jamat Khanas informing them about the ban on women participation in the festival. He said no woman would be allowed to witness the festival. He also said that only local people should be allowed to take part in the festival as it was aimed at preserving and promoting the indigenous sports and traditions of Chitral and the participation of outsiders should be discouraged. The festival is held in the Qaqlasht plateau located in upper Chitral every year.–Bashir Hussain (Published in Chitral Today on April 17, 2017).]]>

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20 Comments
  1. Marum says

    This act of misuse of authority shows that tehsil nazim and his so called colleagues (not all men, you have always been there to support your sisters) are ignorant of the constitution Pakistan, and lack self confidence. They seem that they would not be in a position during this jashne, that other people could sit with them. Rather banning women’s participation they should ensure that all illegal activities, drugs, and other filthy materials are not allowed. You have shown the bad image of our lovely Chitral in front of external people, you should be taken to the court of justice.
    I thank all those who raised their voice at least especially Mr Ijaz Ahmed. It is not pro women voice rather pro humanity. Keep raising your voice against such mafia.

  2. KHAN CHACHA says

    WELL DONE KEEP IT UP……………………………….. WE ARE WITH U.

  3. Syed Alee says

    Female members of the society have been proscribed from attending JASHEN QAQLASHT. We censure this act of Tehsil administration. People should be given the right of choice. It is up to individuals if they want to join any episode or not. No one has the right to impose such self made decisions by force.

  4. Shamsher says

    If I am not mistaken, Gen Musharraf strongly believed in enlightened moderation; women rights and above all in bringing a backward area like Chitral at par with other developed parts of the country through girls education.
    But the clerics have issued warning that the women can not come out to witness Kaghlasht festival. Though women are not interested to go there, the high-handedness of movlis to treat women folk like this is quite dangerous.
    Let me say that the molvis are bent upon turning the valley into tribal areas where women can not do anything at their own. For molvis everything else is halal but if women wants to go attend a festival where separate seating arramgments can be made for them, it is haram. Anyhow, it is a lengthy issue which we will highlight at some later stage. But to cut the long story short I just wanted to say is that all from Gen Musharraf’s party especially those who have recently joined Musharraf’s bandwagon are tight-lipped. Can anybody from APML Chitral especially Sher Wali Khan Aseer break the silence???

  5. shuja mir says

    These molvis have already damaged the holy religion, great country and Pakistani nationals due to their outdated ideas, as a result we feel shame to introduce ourselves in western countries who are feeding us. We become terrorist and surviving on donations of non Muslims. Which Islam you are talking about. Are we following the basics of Islam i.e..huqooqul ibad. Plz dnt use holy religion for your personal interest..Plz plz..

  6. Kifayat says

    Next move, shutter cock burqa to become official uniform for working women.

    1. shah nawaz says

      hahha that is great idea 🙂

  7. M.Hakim says

    In my this coment I need your suggestion about the ban which has been announced by Nazim against Women participation in Qaqlasht Festival.
    I am confused about the ideology of your people that on car you never agree let you to leave your daughter sit on such a seat where is chance to be unveil of your daughter but how you would like to come before whole crowed with your family members where hundred percent chance to fall into big sins? It means there is a different interpretation of Islamic values in your point of view. Otherwise Islamic education is same as it was first time revealed over prophet Muhammad s a w w. Please kindly pick up in your hand the holy Quran and recite the surat noor and surat nisa with translation that what Allah says about the routine life of Muslim women. You have no right to criticize about Islamic Ideology you never know, without full , strong grasp, arguments and evident, you do not comment about that where you have lack of knowledge.. I also request to the editor of chitraltoday.net that he does not publish such kind of comments which do not cause to develop our peaceful environment but may create only devastating space between three communities of Chitral. As we know all that we are one nation basically Chitrali. you struggle and utilize your energies to know it that sometime there are our enemy inside our own rows who are doing work to destabilize our peaceful environment. They Change their names and put down comments on this page and may cause to motivate us to fight with each other and destroy the peaceful environment of Chitral.

  8. Abdullah says

    molana sab ne koi nai pabandi to nehi lagi, khwateen par to kuch pabandiyan honi chheay. kia chitral bazaar me khawateen k aney par molana yousuf ne pabandi lagay hai??

  9. shuja mir says

    Yes… I absolutely agree with Marin comments. It’s 21st century and every human being has equal rights within the cultural boundaries. These mulas have nothing to do except negative and narrow minded ideology. dnt listen to these hopeless personalities. thnks.y

  10. Marum says

    Kelio botur shapeero azad lakhor. How an elected representative thinks of such a minor issue. He has been elected to safeguard the rights of citizens. He has no right to ban any Pakistani citizen to exercise his or her right of any sort. Culture is for everybody not just for men, and women have all the rights to entertain them. Please come out of this non sense thinking. Please behave yourselves rather trying to discipline women. You have been left with only one culture of banning women, and have lost all other culture of respect, values and taking care of others. We are leaving in 21st century. Do not go to stone age, even women were free then today. And dont dictate women how to behave.
    thanks

    1. Imtiaz Booni says

      absolutely agree with you. this is our society where wolves are scot-free and do whatever they like.

    2. JAVED KARIM says

      WOMEN RIGHTS BEING TRAMPLED IN CHITRAL AND UNFORTUNATELY THERE IS NO WOMEN RIGHTS DEFENDERS IN CHITRAL I URGE YOUNG WOMEN TO COME FORWARD AND TALK ABOUT WOMEN RIGHTS. WE WILL SUPPORT YOU.
      JAVED KARIM
      CHITRAL.

  11. Ahmad Azam says

    There should be equal opportunity to both women and men to attend any event and festival in Chitral as well as rest of Pakistan. Maulana step too much disappointed us and it must be revisited by KP, government and such type of sweeping power should not be extended at local government level. There should be choice for women if they intend not to attend the event it must be their decision, however forceful bane of women from any festival which take place once in the year looks very cruel and biased. If Maulana sb is very much active for Islamic society he must bane corruption, commission culture in infrastructure projects, adulteration, bribery, injustice and intolerance etc which have completely defaced our society. Our ulama Islam starts from women and end on women while other social evils which are rotting very fabric of our society are left almost untouched. All the onus are put on women because they are weak creatures while commission mafia, timber mafia, drug mafia etc are very much strong and they are not even criticized in the society as well as from Ulama.

  12. Chitrali awam says

    There’s a Persian saying”Mann chi no guyam thimburai Mann che mi sarayat”Mullas don’t understand the meaning of Ayate Mubarak and the holy Hadith. If you give an example and get information from the holy book, they will never understand.There is a big difference between Aleem,Moulana and Mila.i belong to Sunni Maslak and I have a chance to listen them very closely but unfortunately they always think about their own interests.Jamat Islami has different views and vision. They are not like these mulas. But unfortunately other political parties did not cooperate with Jamat Islami and Nazim Maghfirat shah.othewise tthe situation would be different.Fazlu Rehman hhas his own interests and agenda.Jamat Islami hhas a good vision to promote community and explain the meaning of Islam.Fazlu Rehman group trying to promote talibanization.we pray to Almighty Allah to give them wisdom and awareness to understand the Quran Majeed and Hadith Sharif.amin.we request to the Distract Nazim to work equally with the whole community and bring love.

  13. Meezan Ali says

    I agree with Ms Zakira that please stop following Fazlullah. For Mr Abudullah people means only 48% men folks of Chitral?? How come he claims that people of Chitral have welcome the decision of banning women from witnessing Jashne Qaqlasht. Secondly the prime objective of Qaqlasht festival is to encourage tourism and promote soft image of Pakistan not the preservation of locals games. In the later case football, cricket and volley ball would have not been part of the festival. I request the district administration to look into the the matter and let the individuals and families deicide whether they want to participate or not, instead of putting a ban on a certain segment of the society.

  14. Kifayat says

    By banning women from viewing the event, the TMA Mastuj has violated the constitution of Pakistan which gives equal rights to women, its a criminal offense under the women protection act. It also contradicts Islamic values as women are welcomed and allowed in Majid e Nabavi and Khana e Kaaba the holy of holies. If Allah gives equal rights to men and women even in his sacred house then who are you to confine women to cages? I sincerely advice Mawlana Yousuf and his colleagues that instead of banning women they should raise awareness through mosques and educate men on how to treat women in public places according to Islamic traditions. If our men are unable to control themselves then it means something is wrong in our upbringing, our Ulema and Waizeen failed to use the mosques and jamat khanas for the purpose of nation’s character building.

    1. Afsar Jan says

      Kifayat Sab very true line has been sketched in your opinion, nobody think about this rather blaming others or restricting others, what a nation we are????

  15. Zakaria says

    جب شندور میں خواتین کے آنے سے اسلام اور چترالی معاشرے کو کوئی خطرہ نہیں تو قاقلشٹ میں خطرہ کیوں ہے؟ لگتا ہے ناظم صاحب کو ملا فضل اللہ بننے کا شوق چڑھا ہے۔ چترال کے لوگوں کو جان لینا چاہیے کہ ملا فضل اللہ نے بھی سوات میں اسلام کا نفاذ خواتین پر پابندی سے شروع کیا تھا۔

    1. Gul Hamad farooqi says

      please never discourage tourists because that is the only to promote and enhance our economy

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