BAJAUR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leaders here on Thursday expressed their concern over what they called ‘unethical’ activities in the name of entertainment at Ragagan Dam and said these activities, including musical concerts, were against the local customs and traditions and should be stopped immediately.

Addressing a press conference, the JUI-F leaders, including its district chief Maulana Abdur Rasheed, Haji Said Badshah and Maulana Ziaullah Haqqani, alleged that the ongoing activities at Ragagan Dam were promoting obscenity among the youth.

They said that both male and female visitors were sharing boat rides at the dam besides attending musical concerts, which they said were not allowed under the local customs and traditions.

They said several transgender persons from areas outside the district were also part of the musical concerts, which was polluting the minds of visitors, mostly teenagers.

The JUI-F leaders claimed that Ragagan Dam, which was a government property, had illegally been opened by influential people apparently with the support of district administration.

Said Badshah, who is also chairman of Khar tehsil council, said that as per rules it was the right of Khar tehsil municipal administration to collect charges of activities at the dam, but the income went to the family of an influential person (a provincial minister).

The JUI-F leaders asked the authorities to take notice of the unlawful activities at the dam and stop them by Friday (today).

Meanwhile, Sikandar Zeb Khan, son of provincial minister Anwar Zeb Khan, denied the JUI-F leaders’ claims of arranging activities at the dam, which were against the local customs and traditions.

Talking to mediapersons, he said all the activities going on at the dam were as per the provincial government’s policy to provide opportunities of entertainment to the residents.

Published in Dawn, July 15th, 2022