SRINAGAR: Breaking their silence, a member of the first all-girl rock band of Kashmir on Tuesday said they have given up music as they respect the decree issued by grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad and all other bands in the valley too have decided to disband.

"We just quit (singing and music) only because of the people of Kashmir...as Mufti sahib said it is un-Islamic. We did not know that they are unhappy with our music," one of the members of the band 'Pragaash' said.

She said the band decided to quit music after the fatwa was issued by the cleric. "We respect Mufti sahib who said it is 'haram'. We respect the opinion of people of Kashmir also," she added. The girl said all the bands in Kashmir have decided to disband in solidarity with their band 'Pragaash'. Although the whereabouts of the girls were kept a secret by the family after the controversy broke out, it has been confirmed now that two of them are putting up in the valley and one has gone to Bangalore.

Grand Mufti of Jammu and Kashmir Bashiruddin Ahmad said he was happy that the girls have quit and insisted that he had never issued any threat.

"I am happy they have quit. I congratulate them, their parents and all those people who supported my fatwa. Now, I would advise them to excel in education and prove their mettle," he said.

"There was no threat. I did not issue any threat. We do not believe in threatening and violence. I just advised them it is unIslamic. I have not created any fear in their mind. I did not put any pressure on them. This (singing) was the first step towards their disaster. If this is what you call freedom, then we do not want such a freedom," the cleric said.

The 10th-class students -- vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir, drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid -- had formed the band which won the best performance award in their first public appearance at the annual 'Battle of the Bands' competition in Srinagar in December last year.