National News

ISLAMABAD, (APP): People especially youngsters are ready to
fool their friends and relatives through playing practical jokes and hoaxes on `April Fool Day’ tomorrow.
April Fool day (April 1) is always marked by the people especially
youth through playing good humored or funny jokes, hoaxes, and other practical jokes of varying sophistication on friends, family members, teachers, neighbors and work associates.
People from different walks of life have mixed views about celebrating
this day as some consider the day as an opportunity to have fun while others take it as a dishonest tradition of lying for the sake of fun.
Irum, a media person, said “This day is marked by only the ignorant
people and celebrating lies must not be encouraged at all. Lies about accident or death of some close relative or friend can cause severe mental shock to the others”.
Talking to APP, she added the tradition of celebrating such days for
the sake of fun sometime hurt the sentiments of others and must be discouraged.
Shaista, a student said “there are very few moments of happiness and
excitement in life and this day provide some sort of amusement, if the jokes are meant for enjoyment and entertainment instead of playing with one’s feelings”.
Although practical jokes on the day test the level of tolerance and
nerves of people but sometimes lead to psychological traumas.
Observing April Fools’ Day is the most dishonest tradition as lie is
lie even if one speaks for fun. It can cause much harm to the supersensitive people who cannot bear a little shock, she said.
An employee on a local government department, Ali Abbas said
“Sometimes people start considering real happenings as jokes as one of my relative’s wife died on 1st April and informed me through SMS but I did not believe on what he said assuming it as a joke”.
According to the religious teachings, celebrating April Fools’ Day is
forbidden as the day is based on dishonest traditions, lies and mocking which cause big harms most of the times.
Traditionally, in some countries such as New Zealand, the UK,
Australia, and South Africa, the jokes only last until noon, and someone who plays a trick after noon is called an “April Fool”.