The only women’s park in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has been completely closed after the Ulama Ittihad and seminary students held a demonstration in the city to press the local administration to close down the city’s family park.

On Sunday students of religious seminaries staged a protest outside the family park as well as Bannu Press Club, warning the authorities to close the park otherwise they themselves will be responsible for the consequences.

Ulama said that women should be banned from visiting places of entertainment and shrines.

Local clerics and people from other communities have registered protests through various social media platforms saying that no vulgarity under the cover of entertainment could be allowed in Bannu and there is no place for such parks in the district.

Two years ago, the family park was established in the Bannu Cantt and opened for the general public, so that the people can also visit the park with their families.

However, as a result of protests, the Pakistan Army decided to close the park for women in Bannu and adjoining districts.

Earlier, the entry of men into the family park was prohibited and it was reserved only for women with young children.

However, on August 14, on the occasion of Independence Day, when thousands of couples visited the park, this created resentment among local clerics.

Ulema Ittehad Chief Maulana Abdul Ghaffar Qureshi claimed during a press conference at Bannu Press Club along with the Ulema Committee that he had a meeting with the local administration in which objections were raised about the entry of women in the said park and that the matters were settled with the administration. Since then, the entry of civilians into the park has been banned.

In this regard, Irfan Durrani, Mayor of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, told Aaj News that he was not against the rights of women, but due to the presence of women in the said park, there was a lot of anger among the people of Bannu.

He said that he had also spoken to the administration to play their role to control the situation before any untoward situation arose between the people and institutions.

Closing the park is a violation of Article 15

Natasha Saman, a lawyer from Bannu, told Aaj News that under Article 15, all citizens have equal rights. Banning women from entering the park or enjoying leisure activities in Bannu is a violation of human rights and Article 15 of the Constitution, she added.

“The world is getting advanced but, unfortunately, the people of Bannu are still going backwards,” she added.

She said that instead of banning the promiscuous youth, the administration banned the women from entering the only source of entertainment.