The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, otherwise known as PEMRA has always been a very vigilant body in our country. They’re supposed to do the most to ensure that we are protected and regulated away from harmful content. However, most of the time, this ‘regulation,’ feels more politically motivated than actually ensuring healthy regulation, as this children’s show became evidence of such behavior.

This sexually charged cartoon aired on a kids channel in Karachi and we can’t but help wonder why’s PEMRA sleeping on actual issues?

The clip of the episode clearly features a lot more than you’d want a kid watching at the age of seven to eight years old. Especially in a country like Pakistan, where all we know are extremes in our social constructs, it is unbelievable that we bar even the mention of Valentine’s Day on TV, yet allow the portrayal of sexual conduct on our CHILDREN’S television networks without any rating systems to guide parents if they want to let their children watch such a program or not.

How does that add up?

We looked up the show to see if there was some kind of mistake and that it must have been an off scene. We discovered, for PEMRA’s help, the cartoon in question: ‘The Haunted World of El Superbeasto,’ an American animated comedy horror film and from the looks of it, it’s certainly not suitable for children. So where is PEMRA for this regulation, or is the only thing important is to ensure no “feminist” dramas are aired?

Just last year, PEMRA issued a weird notification calling out Pakistani dramas that made everyone flip out

The notification accused dramas of showing too many ‘indecent scenes’ as well as ‘extramarital relations’ and violence. If anything, the portrayal of situations in these dramas has been helpful in connecting people in this country through the love for these shows as well as their own personal lives to different aspects of these shows. However, still, PEMRA was so quick to slap an order or them, outlining everything wrong with them.

How is it, that the topic of Pakistani dramas in Pakistan can be so jolting and so wildly off-base, but a show sexualizing women and with a clip that can only be described to cartoon porn, be allowed on a television network that too FOR CHILDREN?

Oh and let’s not forget about this year’s mishap when an anchor quite unabashedly manipulated a child on live TV, asking her about the recent death of her father.

Following the Sahiwal incident in January in which Sahiwal police killed four innocent individuals, an ARY news anchor, Arif Hameed asked the child detailed questions about the last time she met her father as well as further questioning her on her emotions on losing a parent.

Can some one be so insensitive?
He and all such insensitive journalists must be banned by PEMRA immideately @reportpemra pic.twitter.com/vyeWIiafrs

— Abdullah Sulehri (@abdullahsulehri) January 23, 2019

It was honestly disgusting and I will probably never forget the look on that child’s face and PEMRA’s actions need to be refocused away from politically motivated regulation and more toward actually helpful guidance that ensures a lively and vibrant media, not one that is always in fear of the government institutions.

The status of PEMRA in this country has been absolutely ridiculous and the creation of a proposed media regulatory authority that also tries to control the internet sounds scary, given PEMRA’s role historically

The Federal Government has presented a proposal to shift PEMRA, to PMRA, the ‘Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority. This body will cover all media platforms now including social media. Through this structure, the regulation of harmful or fake news and information will be governed by a single body rather than multiple. Thus, all following the same rules and regulations rooted in judicial law.

Honestly, it could be a great thing, but it could honestly mean that we just gave the government the ability to monitor and regulate all content we consume. Not just on TV, but on our phones, laptops, iPads – any avenue through which content can be shared the people of this country. Given the history of politically motivated regulation by PEMRA that sounds like we might be about to enter an era of fascist control where no one can say a word of dissent. This kind of behavior stifles democracy and kills healthy debate.

However I hope that actually ends up not being the case once the regulatory authority comes into action. Right now it is too early to tell as the proposal has not gone into full legislation yet but if we can make a move in the right direction, it could open a lot of doors for Pakistani media. Let’s just hope that with whatever is decided, it won’t be closing any.

Dear PEMRA, Ban This Pakistani News Anchor Manipulating A Child Over Her Dead Father Instead Of Dramas About “Feminism”

PEMRA Just Banned “Promoting” Valentine’s Day In Pakistan And People Are Seriously Heartbroken

Cover photo source: tribune.com.pk /KabhiAaoNaKhushbooLagaKay Via Facebook