New Delhi: Pakistanis “just hate to have fun”. And the latest proof is a petition before the Islamabad High Court against the dating show Lazawal Ishq. It is being deemed ‘haraam’ in the country.
The show, hosted by Pakistani actress Ayesha Omar, is a dating show filmed in Istanbul and modeled on the Turkish format Aşk Adası, bearing resemblance to the international hit Love Island. The show follows four men and four women living together in a luxury villa, with every interaction recorded. In Pakistan, where extramarital relationships are illegal and public dating remains socially stigmatised, the format raised immediate concerns. It premiered on YouTube on 29 September and will run for 100 episodes.
The show’s promotional teaser, released in September, too had drawn criticism. When Omar shared a clip of herself cruising along the Bosporus before welcoming contestants into the villa, many labelled the format “un-Islamic”.
Now, Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir of the Islamabad High Court has issued notices to several authorities in response to the petition, which was filed by Faik Shah, chairman of the Amun Taraqqi Party, an Islamic party in Pakistan which had earlier in 2023 challenged the Aurat March in Lahore.
The petition argues that the show promotes vulgarity and social corruption, and that its content could negatively influence young viewers and undermine the country’s “moral standards”.
Earlier, Muhammad Tahir, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), had said that the regulator is unable to act on the complaints because the show is streamed exclusively on YouTube.
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Un-Islamic or not?
Meanwhile, the controversy sparked a broader debate. Some social media users have criticised the show as a dangerous influence on youth, while others defended it as harmless entertainment.
Pakistani television host Fiza Ali called Lazawal Ishq “a dangerous influence on young minds”, and labeled it un-Islamic and a copy of Western dating shows.
Some defended the show’s creative freedom: “Pakistanis just hate fun. How is the Lazawal Ishq dating show going to harm you? Don’t watch it if you don’t want to,” Pakistani X user Anoushey wrote.
One person on Facebook praised the legal action, stating: “Shukar Alhamdulillah, looks like my job here is done. This was the whole reason I was trying to spread awareness and expose the filth behind this show… In shaa Allah, I’ll keep spreading awareness and speaking the truth in the future too.”
Others were not so serious. One person from Pakistan shared a news clip of the Afghan attack on Pakistan on Sunday and said: “Even the Taliban had enough of Lazawal Ishq”.
Another user humorously added: “Pakistan Afghanistan ka bhi Lazawal Ishq chal rhaa hai”.
(Edited by Aamaan Alam Khan)