AT least four barbers were detained in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for styling their customers’ beard despite a ban imposed by local traders union that termed it un-Islamic, according to a media report.
The incident happened on September 30 and came into limelight after a video of the detention went viral on social media, the Dawn news reported on Thursday. In the video, a man named Sameen, who is the president of the shopkeepers union, is seen guiding police in the detention of the hairdressers.
He asked the hairdressers why were they shaping beards in a stylish manner, when there is a ban in place on the same, the report said. Sameen said the union had recently “banned the designing of beards” and had informed all hairdressers about it.
“Despite our decision, some shop owners were trimming the beards in stylish designs, the report quoted him as saying in the video. He said the police imposed a fine of Rs 5,000 on each of the barbers detained and warned them against shaping beards in an un-Islamic fashion in future.
Police confirmed the detentions and said they did it on the basis of a complaint.
“They (traders union) complained that despite a ban on giving a stylish shape to beards, some hairdressers were still doing so,” an official said, adding that the barbers were released after a few hours in detention. However, the police denied imposition of any fine.