Firing Maya Khan, dubbed “head of the moral brigade” by outraged Pakistanis, along with her entire team is being termed the first success of the social media in Pakistan.
One morning last week, television viewers in Pakistan saw Maya Khan with a group of women in a live programme, hunting down “immoral couples”.
Though this was not the first time that viewers were subjected to something strange in Khan’s programme ‘Subah Saweray Maya Kay Saath’ (Early Morning with Maya), but the last episode proved to be the last straw for many.
In the Pakistani society, dating someone without a legal relationship is looked down upon, some girls have also been killed by their parents over dating, and policemen could ask for a couple’s nikahnama (marriage certificate) if they are seen together.
On top of all of this, Khan and her team chasing after couples as the show was being aired live has agitated most of the country, and within no time, social media users became active and bloggers started writing against her.
Several Pakistanis updated the status of their social networking websites, like Facebook, writing comments against her show and calling her “chief of the moral police”.
Many bloggers and users of other social networking websites have started comparing Khan’s vigilantism to the “Lal Masjid mindset” that is rampant in Pakistan.
Moreover, some Facebookers started circulating Khan’ private photographs in which she was seen hugging male friends and dancing with them, and asked her to explain what she was doing with the guys, seeing that she thinks she has the right to go about poking her nose into other people’s business.
Many said she wanted to create some controversy so her show’s rating could receive a boost, whereas others claimed that she was only following orders of her channel’s management.
Concerned citizens also started an online petition, demanding Samaa TV’s management to immediately cancel the show and dismiss Khan and her team.
Ordinary people and members of the civil society also wrote to Samaa TV Chief Executive Officer Zafar Siddiqui, demanding him to take notice of people’s reservations, stop airing Khan’s show and fire her.
In a letter, Siddiqui has issued directives for dismissing Khan and her entire team, ensuring that her show would not be aired from Monday (today).
Until 2000, there was only one television channel, the state-run Pakistan Television, but this sector flourished when former president Pervez Musharraf issued licences to private media companies, and within a few years, dozens of private television channels started operating in the country.
There are more than 65 private channels operating in the country today, and despite that, one could hardly find any institution that educates journalists on basic ethics.
Many Pakistani journalists are violating basic journalistic ethics on television channels, of which famous journalist Wusatullah Khan of BBC Urdu talked in his recent column: “If you have a mike and a camera in Pakistan, you are assistants to God on earth and can do whatever you like.”
Not only journalists, but owners and administrations of television channels let their reporters create controversies to get higher ratings, so they could generate more revenue.
But the social media has succeeded for the first time in the country by forcing a private television channel to make a “controversial show” go off air.
Critics are of the view that the Pakistani electronic media, which has a long history of asserting their power and which usually keeps the government engaged with “non-issues”, could be controlled by the fast growing social media in the country.
Lal Masjid Mindset? Oh no this has nothing to do with religion, and EVERYTHING to do with SOCIAL elites trying to maintain the status quo by dumbing down the masses so they can do whatever they want. This was MAYA in a nutshell.
More looked like the armor division of the aunty division
ab to molvi bhi es ka saath nahi dee saktay q k ye khud fashionable khatoon hay molve sharma rahay hain k kaam to acha shuru kia tha ab ham (molvi) kesi es ko bachain.
Civil society khush hay k ye hamari kamyabi hay, unhon nay press clipping apnay record may laga liya or on ko aaj say bohot faida anay wala hay.
Haider Rizvi ki call maya nay program may expose kia es k baad political presssure by aya samaa per.
SAAMA k head nay Maya ko terminate kiya ab agar maya dosray channel may gae wo channel maqbool ho jai ga, ye SAAMA nay
shehr key sarey thumat gar khamosh houay
This country needs to redefine FREEDOM. A nation that can't gaurantee freedom to its minorities and ethnicities has no place giving freedom to a pillar that SHOULD IDEALLY be the most responsible one of them all i.e. Media.
i am just glad to see a precedent been set so from now on media gets the hang of an ethical code of conduct!:)
atlast we succeed
Finally the Public won 🙂
I WANT TO SEE MAYA PICS HUGING MEN CAN I STAND IN THAT LINE M:)))) AYBE SHE NOW NEEDS SOME MORE HUGS AFTER LOSING HER SHOW
In Pakistan electronic media has become a profitable business.Most of the owners of these channels are illiterate business men.A few channels have got notice of such shows which is a good sign. With the passage of time our media will get matured.This media is like a new born kid,It will break any thing you give him. It will take time "age is a very high price for maturity"
that is a positive development. kudos to Pakistani civil society
I see these girls ,cross the limits and try to talk and act ,as a complex person ,to attract attention.
I have seen ,some other also ,acting same manner ,There should be a limit of fashion .It looks these girls Anchors (NOT ALL),try to sell themselves through media.
Lady Taliban
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