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KARACHI: In the wake of the Peshawar school tragedy, a ban has been imposed on New Year celebration programmes and parties organised at hotels, clubs and other places in the city, says a statement.
Karachi Commissioner Shoaib Siddiqui has written letters to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation administrator as well as the Defence Housing Authority administrator, advising them to cancel all such New Year celebrations.
A statement issued on Tuesday explains that the nation is in deep grief over the killing of a large number of schoolchildren in the terrorist attack, while the country’s current security situation also does not warrant New Year celebrations.
Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2014
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Comments (25) Closed
Dec 24, 2014 08:54am
Is it due to the scare or respect.
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Dec 24, 2014 09:47am
i think this need to be challenge in Court How come they are putting people on restriction
Security is Concern than all people should not come out at All
its Right of every Citizen to celebirate instead of Concentrating to handle TTP they are Bringing
Idealogy ot TTP
Come On When Pakistan is going to change
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Dec 24, 2014 09:51am
It would have been better if people themselves gave up the celebrations rather than the government banning it
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Dec 24, 2014 10:03am
"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families."
New year celebration should be banned nationwide not just Karachi., We must maintain Islamic culture & values!!
Good decision by commissioner!!!
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Dec 24, 2014 10:20am
So we still need ban as we do not have empathy for others.
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Dec 24, 2014 10:23am
Isn't this should be for people to decide?
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Dec 24, 2014 11:06am
@logic Security for the "people to decide" is for the State to decide.
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Dec 24, 2014 01:38pm
Wow ! Ban celebration and then mint money by harrasing those who celebrate be it at Sea view or any other place. Karachi police is all about minting money through innocent people , either they will harrass couples at seaview by threatening them to put in jail via Sec 294 of Hadood Ordinance or through some other means.
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Dec 24, 2014 01:44pm
This should never be a decision on part of the government. I thought we gained independence in 1947. Free people do not need their government to decide for them in terms of what they want to celebrate and when they want to mourn. The government needs to focus on serving the people and not vice versa. People are the rulers and they elect the government for provision of services.
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Dec 24, 2014 01:47pm
Very good idea. Even Christians have decided not to celebrate x'mas outside the Church. Only religious ceremony.
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Dec 24, 2014 02:04pm
@zaher8 Its not an Ideology TTP it is matter of humanity. Think if your son, brother, relative was victim of Peshawar like incident, would you celebrate New year?
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Dec 24, 2014 02:05pm
@salma you are right
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Dec 24, 2014 02:05pm
I'm sure the people of Karachi would have cancelled their celebrations even if this ban was not in place.
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Dec 24, 2014 02:06pm
@Suddle so what? if you are with your legal spouse no one can harass you.
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Dec 24, 2014 02:30pm
Stupid idea......we cannot build a nation by curbing people's freedom. Entertainment starved people of Pakistan don't have a lot of things to look forward. If they want to party, let them
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Dec 24, 2014 02:59pm
I wonder if government ever thinks before taking such steps. Why would government get involved in private lives of people? Who is paying for such controls? Is this a major issue that requires spending of tax payers money? How does government intend to control it? Does this apply to only Pakistanis or to all foreigners as well?
Being incompetent is one thing but being incompetent and wasting tax payers money on foolish agendas is even worse. Thank you PPP and PML-N for such brilliance in Sindh.
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Dec 24, 2014 04:09pm
Good Decision Made
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Dec 24, 2014 04:09pm
@Ash those who dont want to follow govt rules are free to leave PAK
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Dec 24, 2014 04:16pm
@Asif A Agree Brother
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Dec 24, 2014 04:22pm
@zaher8 no one is forcing you to live in this country, just leave, if want to live here then follow country rules and regulations
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Dec 24, 2014 04:28pm
Recently I was invited to a dinner for Association elections. The food and company would be very good but in light of Peshawar I did not feel like going. Even when I did attend a family dinner for a cousin who was visiting from abroad, our mood was not very upbeat. I have to say that many people already feel this way in Karachi and shaadis have been toned down. I believe the Commissioner realizes that there is a security threat existing in Karachi due to the TTP and other militant factions. This is what leads to toning down or calncelling celebrations.
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Dec 24, 2014 05:43pm
We are light years away from freedom. Imposing on others only leads to more complications.
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Dec 24, 2014 06:23pm
Govt should note poke it's nose in everything. however govt could have named new year night as a night to honour victims of terrorism or something like terrorism effecte's fund raising night.
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Dec 24, 2014 06:56pm
@Waqar, perhaps you don't pay taxes. Perhaps you never have. I do and feel the pinch. I cannot explain the sorrow and pain I feel with Peshawar families as I myself am a parent. As a person, I agree that it would be sad to celebrate new year party, but at the same time, I disagree that Government is getting involved in spending money on curbing something, which absolutely is foolish and is nothing short of controlling personal lives of people. Do you think it is the right use of Karachi police force to do snap checks on private places on new years night? If you do then your priorities are as mixed up as the politics in Pakistan.
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Dec 24, 2014 09:06pm
Although a good decision, BUT people should have common sense and should not celebrate themselves in the backdrop of Peshawar and numerous other tragedies.
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