A women's cricket match in Swat's Charbagh area was halted on Sunday after officials cited "security concerns" and objections from people who thought women playing in open settings "goes against cultural traditions."
The match between the women's teams of Kanju and Gulkada was called off following complaints from the locals over women's sports activities.
Meanwhile, Tehsil Nazim Ehsanullah stressed that the step was taken to guarantee safety rather than because it was in opposition to women's sports. He said that female cricket players might participate in confined spaces.
According to Assistant Commissioner (AC) Mohammad Yar, the organizers were condemned for not informing the authorities concerned about the women's cricket tournament.
In order to safeguard the security of the players and others, officials raised their worries about security and urged that the game be rescheduled.
After discussion, the organizer decided to delay the women's cricket match while taking the security concerns into account, the Charbagh Assistant Commissioner said.
According to AC Yar, the deputy commissioner also promised that future women's matches will be more effectively organized.
He added that a rematch of the cricket game will take place in the following weeks.
In order to cancel women's cricket matches, Madrassa Administrator Mufti Rafiullah cited reports of armed organizations in the vicinity and threats against the police.
Mufti Rafiullah said the decision to halt the match was made in order to avoid any potential law and order issues. "The decision to call off the match was made with mutual understanding after discussions with the management and the organizer," he added.
He said, "Women are an integral part of society, and I support granting them full rights."
Mufti Rafiullah said that women are permitted to participate in sports as long as they do so within the parameters of Islamic law.