Heated declarations from the religious elite tend to give a whiff of a state operating within the state. On Saturday, an out-of-blue proclamation slammed a ban on any interaction between women working with non-governmental organisations and “na mahram” (stranger) men in Kohistan. Taking great outrage at the alleged “breach of customs” and religious transgression, these men furiously flashed the expulsion card and even warned of forced marriage between the culprit parties. That the frenzy might have ensued out of “vested interests” considering the same nonprofits have been operating in the area for over eight months cannot be made light of. Between peddling sectarian narratives and stoking the flames of toxic patriarchy, local clerics in Kohistan have earned a notoriety for always managing to find a dark side for themselves. Mired in archaic, primitive traditions that do not appear willing to learn from the changing times, these edicts have routinely condemned men and women to death for the unforgivable crimes of singing, dancing, photography or even the presence in a mixed gathering. Although governments and district administrations have routinely called on clerics to play their due share in educating the masses against “honour”-related crimes, the heart-wrenching Kohistan video scandal that saw the murder of a whistle-blower on the heels of jirga-orchestrated murder spree is enough proof of the underlying tide’s direction. It is crucial for compassion and tolerance to gain a strong footing in the villages so that the prosperity of both men and women can pave the path for a better tomorrow. May it be through the separation of centuries-old regressive ways of living from religious teachings or a razor-sharp focus on the bigger picture of welfare, there’s a lot that needs to be done. No good can come from pushing the walls of civic spaces further inside, throwing a wrench in the works of social activists. Curtailing their operations, restricting the movement of their staff and fuelling propaganda against their motives would only create hurdles for the marginalised, already exasperated by their daily battles. *