The Parks and Horticulture Authority (PHA) relaxed the ban on the entry of youth, couples and especially students (both male and female) in the parks on Valentine’s Day, ostensibly vying to promote its soft image in the eyes of youth.
PHA authority, intentionally, kept the official prohibition loose against Valentine revellers on their entrance in all major parks to let them enjoy youthful celebration. People, mostly below 18 years of age, started pouring in the Race Course Park (also known as Jillani Park), Bagh-e-Jinnah (Lawrence Garden), Minar-e-Pakistan, Gulshan Park, Model Town Park, Jallo Park and others since morning. Bedecked with red colour, holding red roses and chocolates, they shared their amorous feelings basking in sunny and pleasant weather in the parks. PHA security staff also expressed gesture of solidarity with them and did not poke their nose in their blissful happiness.
A security official on the condition of anonymity told Pakistan Today that PHA DG Abdul Jabbar Shaheen imposed a ban on the entry of students and youth till 2 pm two years back and ordered the security officials to use force to drive illegal entrants out of the limits of parks. “We implemented a ban last year with full force as per orders but this year, we did not receive a standing order to intensify the ban,” he added. “Instead, we were asked to remain calm and avoid putting maximum restraints against people on Valentine’s Day.”
PHA official said that PML-N had targeted the youth, observing its sizable proportion in the vote bank and it was doing everything to win over their hearts by posing itself as liberal and moderate. “Easing the ban for lovers in parks is a step that caters to the youth and it would benefit the government indeed,” he added. Punjab Government spokesperson Pervaiz Rashid said that PML-N promoted love and peace and felt no harm in exchanging gifts and flowers on the day. “We face cumbersome wars in Afghanistan and even in various regions in Pakistan. Balochistan is also rocked by adversities. In such a suffocated situation, people need to spread message of love and affections with dear ones,” he added
Defence Pakistan Council Chairman Maulana Fazal Kareem said that Valentine’s Day celebration was the negation of constitution and two nation theory and it should be banned. Maulana Ajmal, reacting on the ban relaxation, said that it was tantamount to invite visitation of God. He said that Prophet (PBUH) clearly told “you will be raised from dead along with whom you resemble on the Judgement Day.”
However, a PHA security official at Race Course Park Jamat Ali Shad said that PHA did not lift the ban imposed on the entry of youth on Valentine’s Day. “Rather we remained alert since morning and tried our level best to stop the violator and cleanse the park from any unethical activity,” he claimed. Although he did admit that some revellers might have entered illegally.
PHA spokeman Javed Shahda said that instead of relaxing the ban, PHA made the ban stricter and did not allow youngsters to enter parks. “If there are married couples, we can not stop them,” he maintained.
PML-N is not against love, they say
