And that’s just part of an extensive new set of threats and prohibitions in Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Province. Sharia Alert. “‘Play music in your trucks and face bombs,’Jihadis warn transporters in Pak’s NWFP,” from Asian News International:
Peshawar, Sept 2 (ANI): Unidentified people, believed to be pro-Taliban militants have distributed pamphlets threatening public transporters in Swat district of NWFP from playing music and displaying obscene pictures in their vehicles, failing which their vehicles would be blown up.
The threatening pamphlets were delivered at the Matta Bus Stand in Swat and
said: “Stop playing music and remove obscene photos from your vehicles or face bomb
attacks.”
Earlier, on Wednesday, unidentified militants blew up six music shops in
Ishaq Market and partially damaged 20 nearby shops and three houses after issuing warnings
to shop owners in the area to stop their “un-Islamic” business.
Non-government organisations (NGOs) have already shut their offices in the region after receiving threatening letters, while representatives of pharmaceutical companies have stopped wearing trousers in the Swat Valley after the militants warned them
to wear local dresses.
Barbers have also displayed big posters in front of their shops stating,
“Un-Islamic activities like shaving and western hair fashion are forbidden.”
Unidentified militants had earlier warned the barbers to stop shaving customers
failing which their shops would be bombed.
This is not the first time that militants have warned men in the agency areas
and the bordering regions of the NWFP not to shave beards.
Soon after the local Taliban established their offices in North and South
Waziristan, they enforced a strict Islamic code, making it compulsory for the men to sport
beards.
In Bajaur tribal agency, the militants levied a fine of Rs 5000 on barbers found providing shaving services to customers.
Militants have also put a ban on all sorts of entertainment, including the sale
of music and films, and replaced the traditional jirga in most parts of the agency areas with Islamic courts.
Other diktats warning government officials from collecting tax, male doctors
from carrying on ultrasound tests on female patients, and NGOs from carrying out social work in the agency areas have also been issued.
According to a Daily Times report, militants have also distributed letters
in Khawaza Khela Bazaar in Swat warning women not to shop in the market, as it is against
Pashtun and Islamic norms.
The letter said that the bazaar was located near a shrine and business activity
by men and women would amount to its desecration. They warned that the bazaar would be
bombed if women were not stopped from coming there.