The upcoming ‘Aurat March’ has gotten everyone a bit tense lately. What was once seen as a means of women empowerment has now become something of a moral divide in Pakistani society.
The current government under Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) explained its position on the sensitive matter on Thursday. The government said that only a ‘handful of elements’ will not be allowed to hold the society hostage.
The government directed PEMRA to stop media channels from telecasting any slogans they deem inappropriate.
One of these slogans include the ‘Mera Jism, Meri Marzi’. The same slogan that has been trending on Twitter lately, especially since Khalil ur Rehman’s infamous outburst.
The PTI government believes that a slogan such as that would create ‘moral delinquency’ in the nation.
“A handful of elements will not be allowed to hold our society a hostage …[and] adherence to Islamic values is essential. Constitution of Pakistan gives the citizens freedom of expression, but obscenity and vulgarity cannot be allowed in the society,” said Firdous Ashiq Awan, while responding to the apprehensions voiced by many members of the committee over the debate on the news media on the campaign.
Aftab Jehangir, a PTI member in the committee, was of the view that the slogans that were being raised in the name of women’s rights [were so vulgar], that they could not be watched and heard, while sitting with family members at home.
Another PTI member in the committee, Akram Cheema, stated that the media should also be directed not to telecast the proposed ‘Aurat March’.
It remains to be seen what happens during this upcoming ‘Aurat March’. Some people believe that the slogan is not as inappropriate as they media is making it out to be.
Of course, with Khalil ur Rehman’s remarks, the country is currently divided on the issue as there are people who agree with the controversial scriptwriter’s rude remarks while others strongly disagree with his stance and demand his exclusion from any future projects.
