PTI submits resolution against Japanese cartoon in Punjab Assembly

Party says cartoons like Doraemon have a bad impact on children and should be banned

LAHORE: In a rather startling move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Wednesday submitted a first of its kind resolution in the Punjab Assembly calling for a ban on famous Japanese anime series Doraemon.

PTI legislator Malik Taimoor Masood urged Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to impose a ban on Doraemon or limit its airtime as it contains explicit content which has a bad impact on children.

The legislator argued that 24-hour cartoon channels are adversely affecting the educational and physical growth of children.

The resolution, which will be discussed in the next assembly session,  claims the language used in cartoons run on channels is damaging societal norms.



Doraemon is a Japanese manga series and is dubbed in Hindi for viewers in Pakistan and India.

The anime series revolves around a robotic cat named Doraemon and a young boy Nobita. It is aired on various cartoon channels.

Here's how people reacted to the news:

PTI submits resolution in Punjab Assembly against Doraemon cartoon. #Tabdeeli #DeadSerious #GoDoraemonGo

— Fahd Husain (@Fahdhusain) August 3, 2016

https://twitter.com/MastCalender/status/760761385085272064

https://twitter.com/QararaRasha/status/760762182741221376

Doraemon's TRP better thn TalkShowsJokers,there4 media running a smear campaign against fav Cartoon.#LoveYouDoraemon pic.twitter.com/cQTPwAqrBd

— Junaid Qaiser جنید قیصر (@JunaidQaiser) August 3, 2016

Doraemon reaction after PTI request to ban the cartoon. pic.twitter.com/9TsdgOST2L

— Jaffer A. Mirza (@jafferamirza) August 3, 2016

How strange PTI MPA start campaign against Doraemon cartoon in Punjab instead of KPK 😳 #PTIvsDoraemon

— Atif Rauf (@Atifrauf79) August 3, 2016

The move comes after Ashish Chaturvedi, the whistleblower of India's biggest education scam, voiced concerns against two of the world's most famous Japanese cartoon characters - Doraemon and Shin Chan.

Chatuvardi feels the adverse psychological impacts of the two Hindi and English dubbed 'violent' cartoons are grappling a whole generation of kids across India and the world, according to the Times of India.



Chaturvedi is seeking a ban on the telecast of the two Japanese cartoons as he claims several medial reports highlight mental abuse and other serious adverse impact of these cartoons on kids.

Meanwhile, in 2014, Chinese newspapers cautioned their countrymen against Doraemon saying, Beware of this “blue fatty” — the Japanese are exporting their values through him.



According to The New York Times, three major newspapers in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province, fired accusations against Doraemon for its “political overtones” and being a tool of Japan’s “cultural invasion.”

Japan’s former foreign minister, Masahiko Komura, appointed Doraemon an “anime ambassador” in 2008 in the hope that the character would deepen the world’s understanding of the country.