Why vigil aunty Caused Pakistan Media Storm By Nosheen Abbas 4 Feb 2012 BBC NEWS - It is a sunny day

in Karachi and a young couple are stealing precious moments with each other in a private corner of a local park and as they inch ev er closer together... A woman moves at speed towards them and interrogates the bewildered pair relentl essly about the precise nature of their relationship. Do your parents know your whereabouts? The pair look stunned. This is Maya Khan, easily the most talked-about woman in Pakistan at the moment, and the events described above unfolded on an hour-long live television morning show broadcast on 17th January. In that hour she and a group of like-minded women were an informal moral police force, popularly described as vigil aunties, hounding couples, at least one of the m married. Pakistan is a largely conservative country, but after the programme was broadcas t members of the liberal elite vented their fury on social websites at what they said was intrusion. Pakistans English-language media also took up the cause. The footage of these women hounding couples who were simply sitting together and talking prompted shock and outrage. Maya Khan apologised twice. A letter, reportedly signed by the CEO of Samaa TV w hich broadcast the show, said the apology was not unconditional enough and she w as dismissed earlier this week. PUBLIC AFFECTION: As the dust settles, what does the debacle tell us about Pakis tani society? I went to a park in Islamabad to ask some couples how they felt about going out in public. Its very difficult to go to places with a girl. Even if I want to hold her hand pe ople look at you in a bad way. I am actually quite religious, even though Im wear ing jeans, but people would look at me strangely and say Im not a good Muslim or person, one man says. A young lady said, Yes, I heard about what Maya Khan did, but I dont care what peo ple think. I will hold my husbands hand. I am perfectly comfortable with it, even if others arent. Her husband said, There are some places where I can show public displays of affec tion like holding her hand, but there are also places where it is difficult to d o that. You do see public displays of affection in Pakistan, but rarely between men and women. It is more common to see young men, particularly those from poorer backgr ounds, holding hands, fingers tightly interlocked. This is not seen as a display of homosexuality which is illegal in Pakistan but a sign of male camaraderie.

But there is a genuine problem here for youth in Pakistan as there are few recre ational spaces. There are even fewer for those couples who do not come from priv ileged backgrounds and cannot afford to go to restaurants. Recently, the assembly of the province of Punjab passed a resolution banning obje ctionable music concerts. What constitutes decency and indecency is hotly debated, wi th many different interpretations depending on what your stance is. What is clear is that a battle between conservatism and liberalism is brewing in Pakistan. As real spaces for youth contract, social media platforms are expanding. Largely driven by liberal youth, the power to create pressure groups and galvanise peop le towards activism is becoming clear. One person on Twitter, @kursed (Abdullah Saad), observes: Online activism can onl y supplement real-life activism, not replace it. But its a huge force multiplier. RATINGS BATTLE: This episode also exposes the pitfalls of Pakistans media, freer than ever before and often referred to as the third pillar of society. But the public believes the media act as if they have unquestionable authority w hich might go some way towards explaining how a group of women took it upon them selves to police peoples personal affairs in public, on live television. Pakistans media are still finding their feet and lack a code of conduct. For now, the courts may offer some people protection from intrusion. Human rights activist Farzana Bari recently appeared on a state-run TV show quot ing Article 14 of the Pakistan Penal Code, which allows a person to take legal a ction against someone who publicly humiliates another. But litigation is expensive and most people may simply prefer to be able to go a bout their affairs without being hounded. The private media industry is burgeoning in Pakistan and has grown largely unche cked in a battle for ratings. Many commentators argue that populist programmes and in some cases vigilante tele vision are an inevitable consequence of such a system. For others, Maya Khan is just a symbol of a conservative mindset intent on attac king personal freedoms. But although Maya Khans show prompted strong feelings, other shocking incidents h ave not had the same reaction. Pakistans media were accused of glorifying the kil ler of Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer who had criticised controversial blasphemy laws. And when a cleric called on TV for a member of the minority Ahmedi sect to be ki lled, there was little outcry when someone did so the following day. Some subjec ts, it seems, are deemed too risky for comment by the media. There are inconsistencies, but Pakistanis are trying to define their own conduct and standards. This is just one facet of the battle for the countrys social land scape that lies ahead. Although the backlash has been fierce, Maya Khans defenders have been vociferous too. One of her fans, Asma Mehmood, rose to her defence.

She is a great anchor and great human being. She did a mistake and apologised. No w every single channel is doing a show on her and invading her privacy and getti ng ratings. What will you call that? Source: Pakistan Today URL: http://www.newageislam.com/NewAgeIslamMuslimMedia_1.aspx?ArticleID=6560

COMMENTSMoral policing by the Taliban, Ram Sene and similar neanderthals is very reprehensible. Our most precious possession is our freedom. Let not these goons take it away. By Ghulam Mohiyuddin - 2/6/2012 2:56:49 PM