A group of clerics in Kohistan made a proclamation on Saturday, stating that women working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) would not be allowed to interact with “na mahram” men in public. They specified that these women, depending on their marital status, must adhere to certain directives.
According to this announcement by a 12-member group of clerics, if a married woman was found in the company of a “na mahram” (men women are permitted to marry), she would be expelled from the area. If a woman is single, the man accompanying her must marry her.
However, the assistant commissioner of Kohistan’s Pattan area, Muhammad Bilal, dismissed this “announcement” and pledged that it would not be enforced.
On the other hand, a cleric who identified himself as Maulana Karimdad posted the same “decision” on his Facebook account and claimed that a local police station house officer has been informed about it.
Karimdad stated, “We cannot endorse non-religious activities in Kohistan, and these NGO women are in breach of our customs by participating in such activities. If they were to operate under religious laws, we would safeguard and support them, but transgressing our customs, which are not permitted by Sharia, cannot be tolerated.”
Maulana Fazal Wahab, another religious leader, asserted that this decision was unanimous among all the religious scholars (ulema) of Kohistan.
The assistant commissioner, in response, emphasized that the clerics made this decision for their own “vested interests.” He pointed out that the NGOs have been operating in the area for eight months without previous complaints from the clerics, suggesting that this may be a form of blackmail.
