Pemra bans drama serial 'Hadsa' after social media uproar
Entertainment
Pemra bans drama serial 'Hadsa' after social media uproar
(Web Desk) - Following accusations that the show was based on the 2020 motorway gang-rape case, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Wednesday prohibited the broadcast of the drama "Hadsa" on the basis of a complaint by lawyer Khadija Siddiqi.
The show's creators, however, have disputed that the drama is based on the incident.
Today, attorney Muhammad Ahmad Pansota claimed that after consulting with the rape victim, he and another attorney, Siddiqi, went to Pemra with their concerns.
— Muhammad Ahmad Pansota (@Pansota1) August 30, 2023
The complaint was made by Pansota on Siddiqi's behalf, according to Pemra's notice.
The series was subsequently watched in response to complaints, and according to the Pemra notice, "it is observed that storyline/plot of the said drama serial is highly inappropriate, disturbing, and not depicting true picture of Pakistani society."
The drama, according to the notice, had caused "uproar" on social media and in society, and Pemra had also come under fire for not acting appropriately.
Hence, “the broadcast/ re-broadcast of ‘Hadsa’ is hereby prohibited immediately under Section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002 as amended by Pemra (Amendment) Act 2007.
“Retraumatisation is real! Her story has been duplicated without her consent and sensationalised under the guise of social awareness,” Siddiqi said while responding to the development.
— khadija siddiqi (@khadijasid751) August 30, 2023
Drama producer's view
Wajahat Rauf, the drama's producer and director, replied to criticism of the programme earlier today by arguing that the only connection between it and the 2020 rape case was that the crime occurred on a highway.
