The political administration of the Frontier Region (FR) Peshawar has banned disc jockeys (DJs) in the area through an order issued on May 15. The order issued by the area’s naib tehsildar also prohibits selling and buying of heroin and other drugs as well as alcohol. DJs found playing in the area will be punished with a fine of Rs1 million.
The ban has angered the locals as after years of unrest and Taliban rule, they have finally started living normal lives again. “In 2010 the entire region fell into the hands of militants who kidnapped and killed influential people after extorting money from them,” said local elder Malik Zafar.
He added that the Taliban had forcibly closed all schools for girls, and many were compelled to flee to Peshawar and other parts of the country as their lives were in danger.
“Just like the Taliban, the political administration has also banned music,” Zafar told media.
“We appreciate the ban on drugs but prohibiting DJs is unfair. The order is being pushed forward by those who want to show how religious they are,” he added.
The elder claimed that the political administration arrested people on these pretexts and released them after taking money from them.
“You see, this is an underdeveloped region with sparse employment opportunities for our youths. Instead of placing emphasis on education or infrastructure development, the political administration’s priority is to ban DJs for our ‘welfare’,” he observed.
When contacted, the naib tehsildar refused to comment on the matter.
In March this year, the police in Mattani, a village in the suburbs of Peshawar, had banned music and launched a crackdown on DJs hired for music functions and even weddings.
On some occasions, all the people attending a music function were arrested.
Later, it was claimed that these people were arrested for violating the Loudspeaker Act as they were playing loud music and disturbing neighbours.
For years, people in the Mattani village were prohibited to play music during marriage ceremonies. Taliban militants ensured complete compliance with a dose of strict punishments.
The villagers told media that the police not only raided houses, but also beat up people and insulted them without any valid cause or provocation.
