The ban has been imposed in Mardan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, following protests by religious groups against women or girls playing in public squares. The three-day games in Mardan were organized by the District Sports Court at the Mardan Sports Complex.
The district sports court has agreed with religious groups that women will not be allowed to play on public grounds in the district and men other than staff will not be allowed to enter the games.
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)
Habibullah Arif, the deputy commissioner of Mardan, told AFP that the agreement was reached under pressure from several people, but that they were investigating and legal action would be taken against those responsible.
The games were called off on Friday (March 11) after a one-day stint, in which girls under the age of 21 were playing cricket.
In a video posted on social media, a man told Noorul Ahad, the superintendent of the sports complex, that there was a propaganda center in the area and if the games were not stopped, he would set up a center there. And since then it has been signed.
Nadia Bibi, a women’s rights activist, says women have long been discriminated against on the basis of gender.
She says there is no ban on women’s play in Pakistan’s constitution and law, it is very unfortunate that half of the population can be deprived of their rights and it reflects religious extremism in the society that should be stopped.
The move-in Mardan comes as the country marks Women’s Day on March 8, and women’s activists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa say they are unable to do so freely due to circumstances and threats. Celebrate the day.
On March 7, religious groups and businessmen protested against a seminar for working women in Mardan, calling it an act of indecency in society. And the seminar was again stopped by the administration due to pressure.
