‘Stop banning fun!’

Students came hard on the Punjab Assembly (PA) on Wednesday for seeking a ban on music concerts in educational institutions while academicians gave a mixed response.
The PA on Tuesday had unanimously passed a resolution for a ban on “objectionable” musical concerts in public and private educational institutions, which was tabled by PML-Q MPA Seemal Kamran. The resolution had been presented in wake of the stampede incident, which claimed lives of three girls of a private college a few weeks ago. Earlier in January last year, stage dancer Deedar’s concert at Government College University (GCU) had also made headlines for being declared as obscene by some stakeholders.
GCU Vice-Chancellor (VC) Dr Khaliqur Rehman said that healthy activities should continue in educational institutions but in a “controlled” manner. He said that these activities must be in line with our traditions. If an event creates indiscipline in students, it must be stopped, Khaliq said. The VC said that all activities in educational institutions must be in limits and under certain conditions to ensure discipline and decorum of the place.
Lawyer Saad Rasool, who teaches law at Punjab University (PU), said that it was a step forward to cultural suffocation, which the country was suffering from. According to the constitution, it was the government’s responsibility to protect the social well being of the people and provide them with opportunities of entertainment. He advised parliamentarians to focus on their duty. Rasool said that the resolution depicted the mindset of the parliamentarians.
FC College student Mudassar Iqbal expressed anger saying, “I am astonished at the intelligent MPAs who decided to ban music after an incident of stampede instead of making arrangements for security”. He said that many people died in stampedes during Hajj, so whether it should be banned as well.
Students asked legislators to define the term “objectionable”, as they said that it was a very vague term to be used on an assembly floor. PU student Durr-e-Shahwar Memon said that legislators were supposed to talk responsibly on the assembly floor. “What is objectionable by the way? Female singers or male, Atif Aslam or Abida Parveen?” she asked. Is music against the teachings of religion then why do not you ban every musical performance, be it on TV or concert at all,” she said. LSE student Hiba Khan questioned the understanding of parliamentarians saying, “If they had any reservations on the stampede, they would have improved the security conditions”. If they think that the media played down the news, they must bring a regulating law for the media but what was the reason of seeking such irresponsible bans, she asked.
Islami Jamiat-e-Talba, notorious for attacking music-related activities in the varsity staged a rally in favour of the resolution. The hard line group called the opponents of the resolution as “un-Islamic”. Terming it as an agenda of the capitalistic world, IJT Lahore chief Akhzar Nazeer said that the youth was being trapped to immorality and Weestern culture. He said that clerics must expose the traps of the West. Music activities at PU were banned a long time ago due to dear of hard line groups. Music classes at the varsity were already being held under threat.