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NEWS 03 August 2004 Clerics condemn Kashmir pop song Religious leaders in Indian administered Kashmir have sought a ban on a pop song by two Pakistani singers. A line in the song, Kachi Pencil (Fragile Pencil), says God has written the fate of man with a fragile pencil. The song has become popular with people across the disputed state, despite the protests by enraged clerics who say God would never do such a thing. They have threatened to take to the streets in protest at the song, which is sung by Akram Rahi and Naseebo Lal. Story from BBC Related reading: Pakistan: Two South Indian dance teachers stand up to ban For the past 53 years, Indu and Tehreema Mitha have been doing the impossible in Pakistan: teaching South Indian dance to Muslim girls in a country where Islamic clergymen will not allow girls to dance 05 December 2004 Clerics condemn Kashmir pop song Religious leaders in Kashmir have sought a ban on a pop song by two Pakistani singers. A line in the song, Kachi Pencil (Fragile Pencil), says God has written the fate of man with a fragile pencil 03 August 2004 Pakistan: Music returns to some of Pakistan's tribal areas In parts of Pakistan’s tribal areas, music is starting to return, reported Free Speech Radio News in a well-produced radio report on 16 January 2012. 18 January 2012 Pakistan: Threats from the Taliban sends sarod player into exile Asad Qazalbash, Pakistan’s only accomplished sarod player, has left the country due to a declaration by the Pakistani Taliban that music is un-Islamic 22 August 2011 Pakistan: Musicians and artists are returning to Swat Valley After a military operation against the religious extremists, artists are now returning back to Swat Valley in northern Pakistan, reported The Express Tribune. 26 November 2010 Book by Salman Ahmad: 'Rock & Roll Jihad' Rock star Salman Ahmad desribes his encounters with angry mullahs and oppressive dictators who wanted all music to be banned from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 10 February 2010 Pakistan: Marked for death by the Taliban Interview with an exiled Pakistani singer in the US who wished to remain anonymous out of concern for the safety of his family at home in Pakistan 24 August 2009 Pakistan: 800 music shops bombed over three years "No doubt this is the most critical phase in the history of our province," writes journalist Shaheen Buneri about the situation for artists in north-western Pakistan 09 July 2009 Afghanistan and Pakistan: Understanding the Taliban's campaign against music Ethnomusicologist John Baily and Freemuse executive director Marie Korpe speak about the Taliban’s campaign against music and musicians in Afghanistan and Pakistan 23 June 2009 Pakistan: 'Taliban have hijacked Islam', says Freemuse ambassador In an article published by Washington Post, Freemuse ambassador and singer Salman Ahmad and filmmaker Karam Pasha criticise the Taliban of hijacking Islam in Pakistan 28 April 2009 Pakistan: Music has died in the Swat valley Musical expressions are completely banned and ruthlessly discouraged in the newly founded Taliban state of Swat in north-western part of Pakistan 23 April 2009 Pakistan/USA: Salman Ahmad: Obama should listen to Pakistani artists As the Taliban silence music in the Swat Valley in northern Pakistan, Freemuse ambassador Salman Ahmad denounces the Pakistani peace accord with the Taliban 13 March 2009 North-west Pakistan: Jihadi hymns replace music The rapidly growing influence of the Taliban in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province has left the areas’ singers and musicians with few choices 29 December 2008 Pakistan: Musician threatened in Karachi Musician and singer Noel Jamshaid was threatened by unidentified persons in Karachi, wrote Minorities Concern of Pakistan 08 December 2008 Pakistan: Music and militancy in the frontier (radio report) This radio report tells about religious militants' attacks on music centres, and the reactions from the owners of the music business in Swat Valley of North-West Pakistan. 25 February 2008 Pakistan: Musicians and singers live in danger A complete ban on all singing and dancing has been implemented in Mingora city in northern Pakistan. The singers and dancers have been thrown out of business 13 December 2007 Pakistan: Attack on hotel where music was played Dozens of local Taliban extremists attacked and ransacked a hotel in Mingora in Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province, because people were dancing and playing music there 18 September 2007 Pakistan: Taliban group issues new ban on sale of music If you sell music CDs and cassettes in Zargari and other areas in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan, you will now be fined 50,000 rupees 23 August 2007 Pakistan: Religious extremists destroyed 25 music shops In June 2007 alone, there were more than 20 bomb attacks on music shops in north-west Pakistan. On 4 July, five more music shops were set ablaze with petrol 04 July 2007 Pakistan: Intensified campaign against music Religious militants in north-western Pakistan continue violent attacks on property belonging to people who sell or listen to music 08 May 2007 Pakistan: Fear and persecution follows Afghan musicians The fear and persecution which forced Afghan singers to leave their country now has followed them to their exile in Peshawar in Pakistan 04 April 2007 Pakistan: Extremists kill one, injure two in music shop attacks Extremist religious groups intensify their campaign against all forms of entertainment in north-west Pakistan. Attacks on music centres left one killed and two seriously injured 18 March 2007 India: Album recalled and destroyed because it offends Christians EMI Music has pulled the new album by the American Heavy Metal band Slayer from music stores across India because of protests from the Christian community 12 October 2006 Pakistan: Two more music shops bombed Bombs damaged two music shops in a bazaar in Bannu in north-western Pakistan on 11 September 2006. Explosions damaging music shops are increasingly shaking up the area. 13 September 2006 Pakistan: Explosion destroys music shops Suspected Islamic militants planted explosive material near a music shop in the center of the bazaar in Tanak district of North-West Frontier Province in Pakistan 26 January 2006 Salman Ahmad Video interview with ex-Junoon member Salman Ahmad about music prohibition among Islamists, and about music censorship in Pakistan 22 November 2005 Pakistan: Under the censorship radar, anti-establishment songs flourish Using humour and satire, song writers increasingly enjoy a new sense of openness and freedom of speech in Pakistan nowadays, reported Times of India 02 November 2011 India: Government bans “raunchy” music videos In April 2006, the Government of India banned “raunchy music videos”. However, the Times of India reports that the ban has not been implemented 11 May 2006 Pakistan: Punjab Assembly bans concerts in educational institutions On 24 January 2012 Punjab Assembly passed a resolution that bans holding of 'objectionable' musical concerts in educational institutions 25 January 2012 Pakistan: Taliban campaign against music still in full swing Militants bombed or torched more than a dozen music shops in the second week of November 2011 in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa province and North Waziristan 16 November 2011 Pakistan: Freemuse network will document attacks on musicians At a two day workshop held in Islamabad 12-13 November 2011 a Pakistani network was set up in support of musicians and composers at risk 15 November 2011 Pakistan: Bomb blast destroys music and video market in Peshawar Six people were killed and over 37 injured in a bomb explosion on 19 September 2011 that targeted a music and video CD market in Peshawar 21 September 2011 Pakistan: Broad instability spelled an end to art in Swat Valley World Policy Institute has published an in-depth article about the development for artists in Swat Valley since 2007, written by Shaheen Buneri 14 September 2011 Pakistan: The Taliban’s war on music has done lasting damage It will take a long time for Swat’s musical culture to recover from the Taliban’s crackdown on music, reported Shaheen Buneri from Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty 08 August 2011 Pakistan: Terror campaign by religious militants against Sufi worshippers In the sixteenth attack on Sufi shrines in two years, Taliban suicide bombers killed 49 and injured 93 Sufi devotees while they were doing music and meditation 08 April 2011 Pakistan: Anti-music militancy increases in the north-western mountain region The militants are targeting films and music and everything they see as obscene, and the situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is deteriorating 21 March 2011 Pakistan: CD markets bombed - once again The bombings of CD markets in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in beginning of February 2011 suggests that militants are again threatening the entertainment industry 24 February 2011 Pakistan: Singer kidnapped by religious militants On 26 November 2010, unidentified militants kidnapped Musharraf Bengash, a Pashtun singer from the Mir Ali area in North Waziristan. Later, a jirga negotiated his release 08 December 2010 Pakistan: Music school closed after threats from extremists A group of religious extremists threatened Asad Qazilbash, a renowned sarood player in Islamabad, to stop giving lessons and remove the signboard for his music school 25 October 2010 Pakistan: Fundamentalists attacked a music gathering In the evening on 5 September 2010 a group of religious fundamentalists attacked a music gathering in Nowshera District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 06 September 2010