KARACHI – “It’s normal to openly urinate along the road in Pakistan, but people disapprove of a couple holding hands,” says S, who is now living in Karachi after spending most of her life in Los Angeles, USA.
“Despite the fact that Karachi is a major city, it’s awkward for a couple to go to public places. They stare at you as if you are from some other planet,” she adds.
Many people in Karachi were seen at shops on Sunday buying cards and gifts for Valentine’s Day today (Monday).
It is not only romance that is celebrated on this day, but people also express their affection for their parents and friends. But many in the Pakistani society oppose celebrating this day and associate it with vulgarity. “There are almost no recreational activities in Pakistan. People either watch television or read SMS jokes. If Valentine’s Day provides us with an opportunity to be happy, I wonder why some people oppose this,” says a teenager who was buying gifts at a shop in Defence.
But despite the growing religious extremism in the country, the number of people celebrating Valentine’s Day has also increased over the years. As for the owners of gift shops, they end up making good profits in the Valentine’s Day season.
