Vasay Chaudhry issues public apology for guest, comedian's comments on overseas Pakistanis

Vasay Chaudhry found himself in hot water recently after offensive remarks were made on his popular show, Mazaaq Raat. In a tweet, Chaudhry expressed remorse on behalf of his entire team, acknowledging the hurt caused by the inappropriate comments. The incident has ignited widespread debate on social media, prompting Chaudhry to announce a formal apology to be aired during tonight's episode.

The controversy unfolded when model Sara Neelum belittled overseas Pakistanis, suggesting that they dress sharply in their home country while being associated with menial tasks, such as cleaning toilets, abroad. Adding to the offense, one of the show's comedians attempted to follow up with a joke, implying that the well-dressed individuals carry PKR5000 notes in their pockets as a form of ostentation.

The offensive clip quickly circulated on Twitter, eliciting an outpouring of anger and disappointment from users, who condemned the derogatory remarks targeting overseas Pakistanis. One Twitter user, while sharing the video, highlighted the invaluable contributions of overseas Pakistanis to their homeland's economy and society. Citing staggering remittance figures of $31.2 billion for the year 2021-2022, the user also pointed out that Pakistani doctors account for 6% of the overseas doctors in the United States and the United Kingdom, among other notable achievements in various fields.

Understanding the gravity of the situation, Chaudhry took to Twitter to express his personal apology to all Pakistanis residing abroad, acknowledging that the comments made were both foolish and offensive. In his heartfelt message, he emphasised the love and respect his team holds for overseas Pakistanis, despite the strained sentiments that may currently exist. 

His tweet read, "I want to publicly apologise on behalf of my whole team at Mazaaq Raat. A very stupid, vile, and ridiculous comment was made recently about overseas Pakistanis by one of the guests in our show which was followed up by an attempted joke by one of the comedians (again in bad taste)."

Acknowledging the need for a more comprehensive response, Chaudhry announced that a formal apology would be broadcast during the upcoming episode of Mazaaq Raat. The details of the apology have not been disclosed. Continuing further on Twitter, he said, "A formal apology will be aired in tonight's episode. However, I wanted to personally apologise to all the Pakistanis living abroad. We love you, even though you might not feel the same at this point, but mistakes are made by one's own people."

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