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STAMPEDES, tragically, can take place in all manner of circumstances. It could be a religious festival or a musical concert where those attending the festivities sense fear, real or perceived, and try to make a dash for the exits with disastrous consequences. An act of terrorism or even unbridled enthusiasm could also trigger similar results. The fact of the matter is that people can be crushed or suffocated to death in stampedes anywhere. One such incident took place recently in Lahore, where three young women, all of them students, lost their lives in Lahore at a concert at the Alhamra Cultural Complex.
The organisers may be faulted for a disaster that could possibly have been averted through measures aimed at preventing such fatalities. But what did the Punjab Assembly do in response? On Tuesday, the assembly approved a resolution moved by a member of the PML-Q which called for a complete ban on 'objectionable' concerts in all public and private educational institutions in Punjab. There are several points to be considered here, and they are not to be taken lightly. One, who gets to define, and on what grounds, the precise meaning of the term 'objectionable'? Why shouldn't students, or anyone else for that matter, be allowed to enjoy a concert in a country that offers few avenues for entertainment? Then there is a larger question. Many believe that the move in the provincial assembly has its origins in an ultra-conservative mindset that is simply using the stampede as an excuse to further an ideology of persons of a certain bent. It could also be argued that other parties in the assembly possibly backed the resolution because they did not wish to be seen as condoning 'objectionable' behaviour. Banning the right to entertainment makes no sense and we hope better counsel will prevail when it comes to lawmaking.
