Vulgar mobile ad makes fun of religious and national values
Public demands immediate PEMRA action
Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: The obnoxious commercial of mobile phone being broadcasted by local TV channels from past many days has been gravely opposed by the public at large as they have demanded Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to impose immediate ban on the commercial. According to details a mobile phone manufacturing company’s newly launched cell phone advertisement on electronic media caught the attention of most of the media consumers as objectionable language and forbidding word was used in the commercial. Citizen have shown caveats on airing objectionable commercial and questioned the status of regulatory authorities for turning their eyes and keeping silence. A commercial of local mobile company newly launched smart phone model saying “the sexiest and slimmest phone in the world” has been appearing on several TV channels from many days. According to the Code of Conduct by PEMRA, any advertisement aired shall be designed in such a manner that it conforms to the laws of the country and is not offensive to morality, decency and religious sects of the people of Pakistan. Further the Section 2 (k) of same code says that no advertisement shall be aired which contains indecent, vulgar, or offensive themes or treatment and material which is repugnant to ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values. TV audience oppugned the type of culture media wants to introduce in Pakistan as families are unable to watch television that is the only accessible and affordable source of information, education and entertainment for them. A citizen of Islamabad told reporter that his three year daughter watched the commercial and asked what does it means. He said that it is justified that the only source of income for media in Pakistan is advertisement but that does not allow the advertisers to sell their products through themes that offend values of society. The Secretary Information Jamiat Ullama Islam (F) Hafiz Husaain Ahmed while taking to the reporter said that Islam does not allow these types of advertisements, JUI is already fighting against other cultural promotion that is restricted in our society and religion. He said we will take this matter in Assembly too. He condemns the advertisement and demanded urgent ban on not only this ad but other commercials like that as well.