Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan
Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report اظہارِ رائے کی آزادی محدود، پیکا میں ترامیم سے میڈیا کو شدید دھچکا: رپورٹDawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric ڈان کی بھارتی میڈیا سے جنگی بیانیہ ترک کرنے کی اپیلIndia bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack پہلگام حملے کے بعد بھارت نے پاکستان کے 16 یوٹیوب چینلز پر پابندی لگا دی'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings ان اے ڈیفرنٹ ریلم کرکٹ کی عظیم ترین اننگز پر ایک فکری نقطۂ نظر پیش کرتی ہےCoordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows ہم آہنگی یا محض اتفاق؟ پاکستانی صحافیوں کے ایک جیسے ٹویٹس نے سوالات اٹھا دیےThe PSL paradox: pageantry or progress? پی ایس ایل کا تضاد: دکھاوا یا ترقی؟Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion پی ٹی آئی سے نکالے جانے کے بعد شیر افضل مروت کے صحافیوں پر ذاتی حملےJournalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families صحافی ثناء اللہ خان کا انکشاف: ایف آئی اے یوٹیوبرز اور ان کے خاندانوں کے اکاؤنٹس بلاک کر رہی ہےA launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm' ان اے ڈفرنٹ ریلم کی رونمائی: ڈاکٹر نعمان نیاز کی کتاب Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning سندھی صحافی اے ڈی شر کا بہیمانہ قتل، پی ایف یو جے نے تین روزہ سوگ کا اعلان کر دیاAJK government registers case against newspaper and staff آزاد کشمیر حکومت کا اخبار اور عملے کے خلاف مقدمہJournalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges FIA threats, possible arrest over reporting صحافی آرزو کاظمی کا دعویٰ: ایف آئی اے کی دھمکیاں، رپورٹنگ پر ممکنہ گرفتاری

'It's not showbiz, it's Islam!'

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published August 06, 2013

Join our WhatsApp channel

 'It's not showbiz, it's Islam!'

KARACHI: In the battle for TV ratings, Pakistan's top channels are making money out of Ramadan by broadcasting round-the-clock chat shows mixing prizes, charity and prayer.

As the top-rated show fends off allegations of poor ethics for giving babies to childless couples live on air, producers say that there is nothing wrong with blending religion and entertainment.

Members of the studio audience queue for hours for ringside seats at Aamir Liaquat Hussain's 12-hour, daily broadcasting extravaganza which combines microwave raffles with child adoption.

With a closely cropped beard, spectacles and smile plastered permanently to his face, Hussain is no stranger to controversy.

But unable to substantiate his alleged degree in Islamic studies from Spain, he revels in his status.

"It is not commercialization, it is not showbiz. It is real Islam," he told AFP. "I am the religious icon of television."

Sumaya, an 18-year-old student queuing up to get a pass onto the show, is a massive fan.

"According to me he is the most popular because of the gifts and also because they are helping poor people, and people for Iftar and what they are saying about Islam," she told AFP.

On his TV set, a wedding hall at a Karachi hotel, adverts for ketchup vie for space with pictures of camels grazing in the shade of artificial palm trees.

Hussain croons into the microphone about the virtues of fasting, of inter-faith tolerance and recites the Qura'an.

He plays with children, oversees the cooking of oily chicken masala and invites Sufi singers to perform religious songs, whipping the viewers into a frenzy.

The show lulls its guests, getting ever hungrier, towards sun down and the breaking of the fast when plates of dates, battered vegetables and sugary delicacies are handed out to much relief.

After dinner, there are quizzes -- with mobile phones, a motorbike and even a car as prizes.

Last month, two infertile couples, whose request to adopt had just been approved by a charity, were called into the studio to be handed a baby live on television before millions of viewers.

"It was our dream to have a child," said Tanzeem, new mother to Fatima, barely a month old with blue eyes.

Hussain and the charity claim to want to break taboos about adoption, encourage women not to abandon unwanted children and men not to divorce wives who can't have babies.

The giveaways were criticised in the Western media, but in Pakistan, a country with millions of desperately deprived children in need of good homes, others defended them as social work.

Television channel Geo and the charity insisted both couples were fully vetted prior to the show after already signalling their desire to adopt.

Instead there has been as much concern about fears that Islam is being commercialised in a crude TV ratings war with the 30 days of Ramadan raking in even more revenue than cricket.

"Aamir Liaquat Hussain's show is the biggest success in the history of Pakistani TV," one Geo executive told AFP.

"It's a race," hit back a producer at rival channel, ARY.

"Big money is involved," he said. "We talk about millions of rupees (tens of thousands of dollars) per month for a star."

A salary of even $10,000 is a fortune in a country where teachers can earn just $100 a month.

ARY's answer to Hussain is Junaid Jamshed, a rock star from the 1990s who says he turned his back on money and partying to become a preacher after the 9/11 attacks which he felt demonised Islam.

ARY cuts a more conservative image. Guests remove their shoes before coming on set, as if in a mosque. During advertisement breaks, Jamshed turns towards Mecca to pray in a corner of the studio.

But the set also has cookers, motorbikes and mobile phone ads. Prize draws recite verses from the Qura'an, calling for public donations to help the sick and disadvantaged.

Jamshed compares the rise of TV preachers in Pakistan as a catch-up to Christmas programming in the West and defends the mix of religion and entertainment.

"This is what Islam is. The essence of every religion is to make people happy and... to help people," he said.

Producers say that the segments of shows where gifts are given away have "phenomenal ratings".

Jamshed's co-host, Waseem Badami, sees nothing wrong in a ratings war but says decency still needs to be upheld.

"If all the TV channels are doing Ramadan transmissions, yes their prime objective is commercial. Why should we lie about this?"

"We are trying to maintain both that we want to be in the race but at the same time... this is a very sacred platform." - AFP
 
 

Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report

Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report

 April 30, 2025:  Freedom of expression in Pakistan is under threat, as the 2025 Freedom Network report reveals increased arrests, censorship, and legal restrictions following amendments to PECA, posing serious risks to journalists and democratic values.

Dawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric

Dawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric

 April 30, 2025:  Dawn has criticized the Indian media's calls for war and condemned the banning of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, urging a rational response after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 dead.

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack

India bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack

 April 28, 2025:  India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual journalists, following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Tensions escalate as Islamabad demands a neutral probe.

Coordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows

Coordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows

 April 23, 2025:  Pakistani journalists respond in unison to a post hinting at a possible Indian military strike. Citing the 2019 ‘Swift Retort,’ they warn of a stronger response if provoked again.

Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion

Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion

 April 21, 2025:  After being expelled from PTI, MNA Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists and Aleema Khan, sparking outrage on social media over his offensive remarks.

Journalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families

Journalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families

 April 21, 2025:  Journalist Sanaullah Khan reveals that the FIA has launched a financial crackdown on YouTubers by freezing the bank accounts of journalists and their family members—raising serious concerns over freedom of expression and legal process.

A launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm'

A launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm'

 April 20, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz launched his fifteenth book, In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple and Triple Centuries 1876–2025, at an elegant Islamabad event, reflecting on cricket’s rarest feats and his journey as a scholar of the game.

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

 April 11, 2025:  Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.

Newsroom
'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

 April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.​

The PSL paradox: pageantry or progress?

The PSL paradox: pageantry or progress?

 April 22, 2025 Once a beacon of hope for Pakistan's cricket revival, the Pakistan Super League now grapples with stagnation and moral compromises. Can this cultural symbol reclaim its lost soul?

Italian newspaper embraces AI, praises its irony and insight

Italian newspaper embraces AI, praises its irony and insight

 April 21, 2025 An Italian newspaper, Il Foglio, successfully published a month-long AI-written insert and praised its irony and analytical abilities, while affirming that AI will complement—not replace—quality journalism.

Nominations open for IPI’s 2025 Press Freedom Awards

Nominations open for IPI’s 2025 Press Freedom Awards

 April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.

Journalist burned alive while reporting Kathmandu protest

Journalist burned alive while reporting Kathmandu protest

 April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.