Zainab's father to sue TV channel over telefilm

Apparently no one took the family's consent before releasing the poster

DUBAI: A Pakistani television channel had released a poster for a telefilm that it was making based on the brutal rape and murder of eight-year-old Zainab Ansari from Kasur, Pakistan.

But the victim's father Ameen Ansari has now decided to take the channel to the court of law and sue them for causing the family distress and violating their fundamental rights.

Legal notice sent to A plus Channel for making the Film on Zainab. 1)The matter is still subjudice 2)The case is of rape involving a child 3)Violation of basic fundamental rights. There has to be limit on the means of making money from drama and films pic.twitter.com/6NmO8bBC3C

— Hassaan Niazi (@HniaziISF) May 12, 2018

 

The poster showed a little girl dressed just like Zainab with a man with his hand over her face. The image also had various hands reaching out to this main image, including those of the news and social media.



The telefilm Zainab Ke Qaatil was written by Umera Ahmed of Baaghi fame and was to be aired soon. Sources told The Express Tribune that it was going to depict ‘exactly’ what happened to Zainab with the purpose of creating awareness.

However, it is now being revealed that the channel had not taken consent from Zainab’s family, a concern that activist Khadeeja Siddiqi also raised a few days ago.

https://twitter.com/khadeeeej751/status/993849756857327616

Speaking to a news outlet, Ameen has said that he would be suing the channel for making a film about Zainab and not allow anyone to use her name for their ‘vested interests.’ He may also be taking action against an NGO who had been using his late daughter's name for the same purpose.

The concepts of privacy, consent and boundaries are an important lesson for media and production houses. It should be the primary point on an agenda while making a film/drama on a real person.



There has been no statement from said channel about Zainab Ke Qatil so far and it remains to be seen if the telefilm will be aired or not.

The high profile case came about on social media in the beginning of the year, when Zainab’s dead body was found in a dumpster. Immense pressure from social activists and members of civil society lead to the government nabbing the killer, a young man named Imran, who had kidnapped and raped 10 other girls before Zainab.



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