Shafaat Ali happens to be a very popular television personality and impersonator.
In his latest project, he donned the roles of Imran Khan and Amir Liaquat for a television advertisement for an online shopping company. The ad was fairly innocent, as Shafaat delivered a message as Imran Khan about saving money by shopping on the website.
But apparently, some people took a lot of offence to the advertisement, particularly some people in the Senate. According to the news Shafaat received, Senators Rehman Malik and Khushbakht Shujaat asked for such ads to be banned and that PEMRA should ban such ads even before they are even aired.
Apparently issue was raised in Senate by Rehman Malik and Khushbakht Shujaat and Senate asked PEMRA to ban "such" ads. Channels are verbally asked to take "such" ads off air 12 midnight onwards. Also it is proposed that PEMRA should first censor the ads before they are aired https://t.co/8VT3wtQHBb
— Shafaat Ali (@iamshafaatali) October 18, 2018
However, offices for both of the Senators nor PEMRA has issued an official statement regarding the entire issue. And some people even think that the ad was not taken off the air because they could still see them.
Just aired on Hum TV pic.twitter.com/rUde1Z9R5g
— nomi (@nomi49) October 18, 2018
On-Air as of now at ARY at 830PM on 18th October 2018 pic.twitter.com/0556h1IGww
— Anas Mallick (@AnasMallick) October 18, 2018
A lot of people were actually happy that the ad was being banned because they found it disrespectful.
That was inappropriate. I was thinking to report it. 😱 Ads are a serious business. How can you mimic PM’s voice in that and then make fun of a statement by a minister while making parody of another gentleman. Like there has to be some decent limits. My two cents.
— Hid Ayat (@HUkaAalam) October 18, 2018
Thori tameez ka khayal rakhna chahiye ad main
— haider raza (@haiderraza1414) October 18, 2018
It is ethically wrong to sale a product on the name of personalities without their consent. You have talent for that we respect but mocking someone to sell the products is unjustified#Censorship
— Chaudhary Bilal (@ch_bilal_95) October 18, 2018
But Shafaat has mentioned that the advertisement had till 12 AM-midnight to be taken off the air. So let’s see if PEMRA actually takes action and bans the ad.
I have been told that the recent ad I appeared in has been taken off air. Media Censorship continues…
— Shafaat Ali (@iamshafaatali) October 18, 2018
Let’s see if the advertisement is taken off the air after tonight because that is apparently the deadline. And if so, it might be a debate about the freedom of media. But you can still watch the ad online on YouTube and we have linked it below so you can see and decide for yourself whether it was offensive or not.
What do you think about this ad? Let us know in the comments below!
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Cover Image Source: Goto Online Shopping via YouTube.com/@iamshafaatali via Twitter.com