Valentine’s Day is not a part of Pakistan’s festivities.
The Middle Eastern country’s main religion is Islam, and the practices behind the faith differ greatly from the teachings behind Valentine’s Day. More specifically, the February 14 holiday is considered to be a Western practice that the country opposes.
The ban was ordered by the Islamabad High Court in Pakistan’s capital, ensuring that there are no ads on printed or electronic media that encourage the celebration of Valentine’s Day. It cannot be celebrated in “any public space or government building.”
It is possible that the country feels as if celebrating the day would mark an appropriation of Western culture that could ultimately play a role in diluting the national pride that its citizens hold for Islam and the practices behind the faith.
Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) will monitor social media platforms, as well as any sort of printed or electronic content in order to determine if someone is breaking this ban. Any sort of breach of the order will result in Valentine’s Day content being taken down immediately.
Peshawar — a city in the northern province of the country — has also signed an order that prohibits the observation of Valentine’s Day in any manner. Some consider the holiday to be a distortion of reality that is not in line with what life is actually like.
