Open Letter: Ethical Guidelines for Drama Scripts

“In the name of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful”

Open Letter
To, Chairman PEMRA,
PEMRA Headquarters, Mauve Area, G-8/1,
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

Subject: Ethical Guidelines for Drama Scripts

Respected Sir,

Asalamo Alykum. Pervaiz Musharraf liberated the media from the shackles of any running government’s self-centered and self-praising solo reporting. It was a good thing, and it was the very thing which played a pivotal role in ousting him out because his intentions and ideology were not good.

Many among the public created a public hue and cry over the vulgarity swarming into our dramas, advertisements and even comedy shows, after the media liberation. It is not the issue of the programs being Indian, Western or Pakistani. Vulgarity is vulgarity, be it under any citizenship. And vulgarity is vulgarity, be it in skirts, jeans or shalwar kameez. Because a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet and a thorn by any other name would prick just as hard.

However, the reply that Pervaiz Musharraf gave in a humorous tone was that, pasand na aye, tho channel change kae dae. I hope today he is doing the same at the unexpected turn of events since 2008, being reported on the media.

Sir, the point I am trying to make is that we reap what we sow. Pervaiz Musharraf did not care for the concerns of the people and the recommendations of religion. He let stem vulgarity on the media. Allah Almighty has His own way of teaching people a lesson, in a language then that they understand.

Today our dramas are showing stories which are corrupting the youth and teaching them lessons which we would never want them to learn. Why do we show bunking school and college as a cool thing to do while we would never want our children to bunk? Why do we show teenage couples eloping from home as heroic while we would never want our teenage boys and girls to elope? Why do we show extra-marital affairs as a natural reality while we would never want our spouse to even think about it?

Smoking, drinking, physical relationships out of marriage and similar vices are portrayed as a non-issue and people who have a problem with them are the ones who have ‘hang-ups’.

The words pregnancy, abortion, illegitimate child and such terminologies are being used so openly that little children have learnt to pronounce them and question as to what these words mean.

I request you to set a standard guideline regarding script, dialogues and costumes that all television channels must follow for all their shows. It would be better if dramas are allowed to be made based on real stories only, because then the lesson derived is also a true one, and not the individual opinion of an individual mind. Further, the teachings of Quran and Sunnah must be kept in mind while rounding off stories and no unIslamic ideology should be propagated into the society.

I hope you make use of your position wisely and leave behind a tradition which will be reward-earning for you in this world and the Hereafter, Ameen. Wsalam.

From,
[Name/Initials], [Location], [Date].

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To,
Chairman PEMRA
PEMRA Headquarters,
Mauve Area, G-8/1,
Islamabad 44000, Pakistan

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