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A Pakistani reality show based on popular love island The format has evoked sharp reactions domestically, with a petition filed in the court seeking a ban on its circulation across the country.obscenity and moral corruption,
Lazawal IshqWhich is depicted as “Eternal Love” by its makers. Brings together eight Pakistani contestants, four men and four women, in a luxury villa in Istanbul, where their conversations are filmed for an Urdu-language series adapted from the Turkish format. love island,
The show follows a group of single men and women who meet, pair up and participate in challenges designed to test their compatibility, with contestants being eliminated each week. The makers have said that it focuses on emotional bonding and the “discovery of lifelong love”, although a section of critics on social media and Pakistani talk shows have condemned it for “obscenity”.
Lazawal IshqThe producer says it will run for 100 episodes, will be hosted by actress Ayesha Omar and will be available for viewing only youtubeWhere the first episode aired on 29 September.
At the time of writing, the first episode has received over 1.1 million views, and episode 12, released yesterday, has received over 75,000 views.
When First promotional trailer for Lazawal Ishq was released online in SeptemberSoon after, there was a flood of reactions on social media platforms. Within hours, the show was criticized on social media for being “un-Islamic”, arguing that the idea of unmarried men and women living together under constant camera surveillance violates social norms in Pakistan, and some demanding authorities intervene before a full episode could be aired.
Responding to the show’s first post on Instagram where Omar explained the format and introduced the contestants, one person commented: “Have some decency, committing a sin is one thing. And publicizing it is another. Fear Allah, what are you leaving behind in this world?”
Another person called it a “cultural embarrassment” and said the producers had mistaken “obscenity for confidence.”
In late September, Aman Taraqi Party Chairman Muhammad Faiq Shah filed a constitutional petition in the Islamabad High Court demanding a nationwide ban. Lazawal Ishqaccording to The Tribune,
The petition described the show as promoting “obscenity and moral corruption” and “against the religio-social values, traditions and morality of the country”. It said that PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) and Pakistan Telecommunication Authority be ordered to “strictly monitor immoral content” on digital platforms and seek advice from the Council of Islamic Ideology on how such content should be handled.
The court has since issued notices to several federal authorities, including the government, PEMRA, PTA, Council of Islamic Ideology and the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency, and ordered them to submit written responses explaining their position.
However, the show had its supporters, with some criticizing the reaction as exaggeration and hypocrisy. “There is absolutely nothing wrong or ‘immoral’ about this Lajawaal IshqThis is a YouTube program and we can trust Pakistani adult viewers to decide for themselves whether they want to watch it or not. Mullahs and the state should not protect us. Let us make our own choices,” one person wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Omar has argued that Lazawal Ishq Provocation is a culturally rooted experiment rather than an act of telling. dawn It is “the first program of its kind for Pakistani and Urdu speaking audiences”.
He added, “Obviously, the promo has left everyone with different kinds of speculations. Some people wrongly assumed that it is about Pakistani boys and girls living together in a tropical villa. Let me tell you, this show resonates well with our culture, principles and values. In our society, eternal love leads to the holy union of marriage, and that’s exactly what the show ends up doing.” will be.” gulf news,
PEMRA received several complaints but said it could not take action because the program was being distributed on YouTube rather than on a licensed television channel.
“It does not fall under our jurisdiction,” PEMRA spokesman Muhammad Tahir told The Associated Press. “We do not regulate YouTube, and this content is not from any television channel. The general public has no idea that YouTube is outside our regulatory purview.”
In Pakistan, a Muslim-majority country, predominantly Islamic teachings are taught shape law and public lifeholds on conservative social attitudes Around relationships and public morality. Romantic or physical intimacy between unmarried men and women is widely considered taboo, and depictions of such behavior on screen have often provoked public outcry.
In 2021, PEMRA warned television channels against “indecent” scenes or “hugging and caressing” in dramas. The country has also banned foreign entertainment, including popular Indian soap operas Yeh Hai Mohabbatein And Saath Nibhaana Saathiyaand turkish serials like Ishq-e-MemnuFor promoting what regulators call “immoral or un-Islamic values”.
Pakistani film joyland (2022)which depicted a homosexual relationship and was its official entry for the Oscars briefly banned First being cleared for release,