Pakistani President Mamnoon Hussain has urged Pakistanis not to celebrate Valentine's Day, which hardline clerics want banned in the country, Reuters reported.
President Hussain criticized the holiday as a Western import threatening Pakistan's Islamic values. "Valentine's Day has no connection with our culture and it should be avoided," he said.
Although Valentine's Day has its origins in Christianity, the holiday has gained popularity among Pakistanis, as well as other Muslim-majority countries around the world.
Muslims are prohibited from celebrating Valentine's Day in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Russian province of Belgorod.
Earlier this week local media in Pakistan reported that Valentine's celebrations in Islamabad would be banned as an "insult to Islam," but city officials admitted such a rule would be impossible to enforce.
