ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has banned events promoting Valentine’s Day, and media coverage of any such events, for the second year in a row after a court ruled the holiday un-Islamic.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) issued an advisory on Wednesday warning television and radio stations against any Valentine’s Day events.

“No event shall be held at the official level or at any public place,” Pemra said.

Social media users were quick to respond, with some mocking the regulatory body. Young people are not too afraid of the ban. “I will celebrate,” said 21-year-old university student Abid Ansari in Islamabad. “This is my choice.”

“Hate preechers who incite violence in name of Islam are back on air. These hate monger are promoted & protected by the state of #Pakistan. But love speak and red heart balloon and flower vendors are a danger to this republic and Islam”, journalist Ahmad Noorani posted on Twitter.

Another user Adnan Sami commented on Facebook: “Pemra directs media to refrain from promoting Valentine’s Day, Pemra never directs media from promoting hate monger Mullahs.”

Others lauded the decision, echoing the views of officials who have previously blasted the celebrations as “vulgar and indecent”.

Ali Danish said on Twitter: “Pemra did right. What sort of love do you want to spread via Valentine’s day? Us distancing ourselves from Islam is haunting us big-time.”

The ban was introduced by Islamabad High Court (IHC) last year after a petition by a citizen who said the holiday was a cultural import from the West and “against the teachings of Islam.”

The IHC prohibited celebrations in public spaces and government offices across the country.

President Mamnoon Hussain told a crowd of students in 2016 that the day had no place in the Muslim-majority nation and urged young people to focus on their studies instead.

Many of the Muslim-majority nation’s young people — more than 60 per cent of the population is under age 30 — and commercial establishments have in recent years embraced Valentine’s Day traditions of hearts, flowers and chocolates.

But the country of 208 million has also seen a new wave of ultra-religious political activism that sparked a backlash against such visible, and some say immoral, celebrations.

Hard-right political parties including the Taliban-linked Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam parties have in recent years held rallies to denounce the holiday. Valentine’s Day falls on Feb.14.

In a Twitter post, Pemra said last year’s ban was still in place and urged the media to “desist from promoting” the festivities.

DIFFERENT VIEW

Parties including the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam have in recent years held rallies to denounce the holiday.

“We’re Muslims. Our religion forbids things like Valentine’s Day,” said Taufeeq Leghari, who was waiting for transport close to a florist’s stall in Rawalpindi, adjacent to Islamabad.

Flower seller Salman Mahmod took a different view, “I don’t know what danger these Islamists would face if I earn a little more from selling flowers and someone can have a chance to celebrate something,” he said.

Reuters / AFP