Protest triggered by Pakistani TV Serial

A Pakistani television serial titled ‘waqt ne kiya kya haseen sitam’aired on Zindagi has triggered a protests from viewers on the basis that it portrays only Pakistani perspective of the partition and shows Hindu and Sikh in poor light. This has drawn the attention of the I&B Ministry and broadcast redressel authority Broadcast Contents Complaint Council (BCCC).

BCCC, headed by Justice Mukul Mudgal, has issued a notice to Zindagi and summoned its executives for a hearing on May 22. A senior ministry official informed the government had yet to decide on the complaints but had forwarded them to the Indian Broadcasters Federation, a private organisation, and its self-regulatory body, the

Broadcasting Content Complaints Council The co-author of the book on the 1947 partition feels that it would be good to take on the perspective from the other side of the border.

While the show is based on Razia Butt’s book ‘Bano’ starring characters played by actors Fawad Khan of Khoobsurat fame and Sanam Baloch as Bano.It narrates the story of a Muslim girl abducted by a Sikh who repeatedly rapes the girl, convert her and force her to bear a child out of wedlock. The soap has finished it 23 episodes run in April.

There has been several complaints, alleging it offends Indian sensibilities, portraying Hindu and Sikh in bad light whereas few episodes also highlights Indian Muslim League and M.A Jinnah as heroes fighting the congress against the discrimination faced byMuslims in India.