Image via WikipediaSlowly, but surely, the state and the society have become radicalized in Pakistan. The end of the Heera Mandi in Lahore is a sign that the militant elements in the state and the society are enforcing their norms, and banning in the process, all expressions of joy, such as dancing and signing.It is, however, very naive to believe that the closure of Heera Mandi in Lahore will also mean an end to dancing girls in Pakistan. Now, such events will be increasingly held in private, and will further jeopardize the welfare and safety of the women partipcipating in such events.
Historian Dr Mubarak Ali told the BBC that the end of the dancing girls tradition was another nail in the coffin of Lahore's artistic and cultural heritage, which had been "whittled away by radicalisation" since the 1970s.
BBC News - Dancing girls of Lahore call time
