The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has issued an advisory for broadcasters and advertisers urging them to refrain from using themes and content which do not correspond with the nature of the product being marketed.
The advisory by Pemra comes after some social media users expressed displeasure with an ad of Gala biscuit starring actress Mehwish Hayat that has been running on TV channels.
“The trend is causing/promoting unrest and behavioral disturbance among viewers being not only in violation of commonly accepted standards of decency but also socio-cultural norms of Pakistani society,” Pemra stated, adding that viewers were criticizing the regulatory body for allowing satellite TV channels to air such indecent ads.
After the biscuit ad was released, some netizens took to social media to point out how the visuals went against the “norms” of Pakistani society. Columnist Ansar Abbasi dubbed the ad a mujra. Replying to the journalist’s tweet, a minister in Imran Khan’s cabinet said that the premier was against such ‘anti-Islamic stuff’, which goes against cultural norms and “has damaging effects on the youth.”
