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A former member of the National Assembly has warned non-governmental organisations (NGOs) not to send female staff to Pakistan ’s Kohistan district, and has threatened to marry these women off to local men, if they do visit. “People of Kohistan cannot be influenced by women, and NGOs should stop the practice of sending women to Kohistan with immediate effect or get ready for the consequences,” he warned. Maulana Abdul Haleem, also a prayer leader, issued the warning in his Friday sermon at the central mosque in Kamila in Kohistan district, reports The News. He said the ‘secular’ education of women was against Islam, adding that a woman, if educated, would eventually seek a job, which is not allowed in Islam. Maulana Haleem, however made it clear that he was not against NGOs and said the people of Kohistan would provide shelter and protection to male NGO staffers working in the district. He said if NGOs wanted to work for womenfolk in the district, they should come through proper channel and utilise the government departments. He also warned the Education Department to shut the girls’ schools in the district as “these schools had been turned into cattle pens while the teachers were getting salaries without performing their duty.”

Kohistan cleric threatens to ‘marry off female NGO workers to local men’ as punishment