Report by Kashan Awan

An FIR has been lodged against a local media person and the eight to ten people accompanying him for approaching the Mardan Sports Complex administration and asking for a complete ban on women playing sports in Mardan.

A video has been circulating on social media since March 10, which shows some men talking to what seems to be the administration of the Mardan Sports Complex.

The men in the video can be heard talking about the sports complex in Pashto, “This was a Tablighi Markaz where we held congregations for ijtimah. We lost some of our friends here and buried them. I swear upon God that very soon we will convert it back into a Tablighi Markaz”.

According to details, a handwritten request was submitted to the complex’s administration on March 10 to ban women’s sports by the media person, ahead of K-P’s under-21 games for females. The note also called for the banning of all such events in the future.

Meanwhile, Mardan’s district commissioner took notice of the incident on March 11 and issued a notification to the police to register an FIR against the media person while also telling them to ensure that the games for females under 21, scheduled from March 22, take place without any hurdles.

The notification from the district commissioner’s office also confirmed that there was no official ban on women playing sports in Mardan, not even inside the sports complex.

After the video became viral on Twitter, women rallied to ensure that action was taken against the men involved, especially against those calling for a ban on women playing sports, with even Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari tweeting about the incident.

PTI MNA Maleeka Bokhari reached out to K-P Minister Atif Khan, even if a day late

https://twitter.com/MalBokhari/status/1502556063543230464

However, Insaf Women Wing Central Joint Secretary Dr Sumera Shams replied that she has already intervened.

No arrests had been made at the time of the filing of this report.