Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has ordered his government to crack down on fashion shows because they are un-Islamic and give Pakistan a bad image, The News  reported today.

The paper cited an interior ministry order dated October 25, which directs officials to end the regular parades at the more expensive hotels across the nation.

The paper quoted the order as saying: "It has been observed that different functions are organised under the garb of fashion shows at leading hotels of the provinces and federal capital, which militate against our national culture and Islamic values. Such activities are not reflective either of our culture or heritage and subsequently paint the government in bad light.

"The prime minister has taken serious notice of such undesirable activities and has directed that the administration and hotel management be issued strict instructions to avoid recurrence of such programmes, which are not in consonance with Islamic values and norms of decency."