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The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, last week, advised television channels not to air content that was against common ‘standards of decency’.
According to PEMRA, such scenes are highly disturbing and against the commonly accepted standards of decency. After its notification, several concerns were raised among people and on the internet about the authority’s perception of Pakistani culture, that why acts of violence and abuse are easily ignored but PDA is condemned?
What PEMRA advised?
Through a detailed notification, the PEMRA said, “TV channels are indulged in airing objectionable dramas/content based on indecent dressing, caressing, bed scenes, and gestures, sensitive/controversial plots, and unnecessary detailing of the events, which are highly disturbing and against the commonly accepted standards of decency.”
A ‘considerable stratum’ of the society believes that dramas were not depicting the true picture of Pakistani society, the regulator said in the notification. PEMRA said it had not only received numerous complaints on Pakistan Citizen Portal (PCP) and the PEMRA Complaints Call Center and Feedback System but they were also criticised on social media.
“Hugs/caress scenes/extramarital relations, vulgar/bold dressing, bed scenes, and intimacy of married couple are being glamorised in utter disregard to Islamic teachings and culture of Pakistani society,” the regulator added.
PEMRA directed all Satellite TV channels to refrain from airing caress/hug scenes in dramas and properly review the content of the dramas through in house monitoring committee and edit or amend the same by giving due consideration to the reservations and apprehensions of the viewers. “Forgoing in view, all Satellite TV licensees are required to stop airing such content in dramas, henceforth, and ensure compliance of PEMRA laws in letter and spirit,” it added.
Motive behind PEMRA’s notification
The development came after Prime Minister Imran Khan’s directions to authorities to ensure effective gate-keeping of online content to shield innocent minds against the ‘ruthless onslaught’ of immoral and pornographic content online.
According to the prime minister, character building is very crucial in the modern tech-savvy era and the proliferation of tech gadgets and 3G/4G internet technology has made all sorts of content available to everyone.
‘Yes’ to violence, ‘no’ to hug scenes
Many social media users in a reaction called out PEMRA’s notification nothing but the hypocrisy that can consider violence in a TV drama but draws a line at scenes of affection between couples.
One of the journalists compared how women being assaulted is believed to be ‘Halal’ but the assaulting someone is itself ‘Haram’. Famous blogger Natasha Kundi questioned PEMRA’s priorities for not banning ‘old school dialogues’ or ‘domestic violence’ in TV dramas, but complaining about not-so-harmful ‘hugging and caressing scenes’.
PEMRA and its bizzare notifications
This is not the first time PEMRA has issued such notifications. In 2017, the authority released a statement asking TV channels to be ‘mindful and respectful’ when airing content during the month of Ramzan which included prohibiting ‘dancing, singing, exercising, obscene dressing’, on TV as it would be considered as an insult to Islam.
According to writer Kamran Chaudhry, the ‘radicalization of society’ was leading to the ‘sidelining of arts, culture, and sports in the Islamic republic.’ In his article in Dawn, Chaudhry wrote about the frustrating lack of entertainment in Pakistan because of religious restrictions.
He also mentioned ‘Talibanisation’ of the Pakistani music and film industry, especially with the restrictions on music, which was borne out of Islam’s unfavourable opinion of songs and entertainment.
Romanticizing violence against women
Violence against women is a recurring theme in Pakistani dramas and movies. ‘Cheekh’ and ‘Verna’ are two Pakistani art that portrays it. With some Pakistani dramas and films, there is this innate tendency to glamorize and romanticize this violence.
Most research on the impact of media violence on violent and aggressive behavior has focused on violence in fictional television and film. Interestingly, PEMRA has no issue with that.
Is maintaining ‘standards of decency’ only solution?
The bigger debate how can we define ‘obscenity’ because, unfortunately, Pakistanis are dwell in an environment where vulgarity is rampant in the form of verbal abuse.
Some of teh society members believe that showing affection to a woman is a conspiracy of the West. But hitting the same gender openly abusing her, even humiliating the same genders in slang words are somewhat acceptable and totally normal.
