ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee for Information and Broadcasting advised that it should be compulsory for female news anchors to carry a dupatta when on air, reported Express News on Thursday.
During a session in Islamabad, the committee also expressed its concern over the exposure being given to Indian models in Pakistani advertisements.
On the suggestion of the committee to ban commercials of foreign actors in the country, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that the issue was in the court and it would be better to wait for the decision. However, he agreed with the members of the committee that the local culture should be promoted by the media as the country was rich in heritage.
Kaira assured the media that the government is not trying to put a ban on media channels and did not take off any advertisements.
"Journalists are in trouble and we are ready to provide them with complete security," he maintained.
Managing Director (MD) of Pakistan Television (PTV) Yousaf Baig Mirza assured the opposition parties that they will be given adequate coverage when the parties criticised the state channel during the committee meeting.
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we are asking the TV anchors to wear dupatta and at the same time we dont want indian models in our adds. i think we are confused. so we should decide first. our wish should be according our need. do we want to see pakistani models perfoming in adds wearing burqas? coz the next step would be burqa.
media should stop promoting foreign models and foreign culture and films
however, no law should impose what people where.govt should encourage but not force
Wonderful to see where the country's priorities are. They've truly lost it.
The first , and probably the last , act of good governance
by the Standing Committee .
women should cover their chest and hair as there is no limit of obscenity...Press TV walay bhi to hain.. Allah say Daro..khabar hi sunani han
Beauty lies in the Beholders eyes. You actually want to impress people by not putting on Duppattas. The viewers will still appreciate you if you wear Duppattas.
An anchor with dupatta looks sober.
God job standing comittee ... this will solve all the issues terrorism price hikes CNG electricity unemployement......yea the only solution to all our problems lie with news anchors dupttas and what does the honorable committee suggest for men to wear?
@Pakistani: I guess you will not get disappointed if Pakistani musicians/actors/singers don't get to partcipate in Bollywood. In a free market you guys will do better than Indians in the entertainment industry. In the long run it works to your advantage and it helps to have an open mind and do not fall in to extremist mindset trap.
This is a very good proposal and nothing to do with Islamization or Ziaism, Duppattas are not part of Islam it is in Culture and as west has promoted and communicated its culture through their media platforms then why don't us? Why so much confusion? Why so much insecurity in promoting own culture?
@Noble Tufail: did i hear right from a musalmaan friend that there is no compulsion in our deen?
You heard right, as long as you do what you are told...
pander! who us? no no. we think dupattas are good fod journalism. we think men and women are equal. women are free. totally free. but how can we argue with the Taliban whrn they are telling women to wear dupatta? dupatta is good. dupatta is pure. dupatta is izzat we disagree with taliban killing. but we'll support their ideas that women shpuld be told what to wear. We hate the Taliban. Eew. Grozz. So stinky. But we do think banning Indian dramas will help our country. And another top priority is of course those pesky midnight packages.
The assembly isn't wasting our hard earned tax rupees on luxury cars and international ttips for nothing. They are hard at work trying to cure us from our own moral drpravities .Pemra is trying to define obscenity while the ban on YouTube continues.Our government is against the Taliban. cant you tell?
Ahhh i dont like this decision!!!! but i agree with one thing they media should stop showing indian shows and adds on our channels we should make our own shows and adds but the DUPATTA decision, i dont agree
@ Ali Hassan: It turn into a pretty indecent proposal when an optional dupatta is forced to be a compulsion. did i hear right from a musalmaan friend that there is no compulsion in our deen?
Scary times...the hypocrisy is nauseating...Seems the mullah types are silent about everything except when it comes to women. Apparently Islam begins and ends with the amount of fabric a woman is wearing for these idiots. If a woman sets off a bomb, seems the first question asked would be if she was wearing "Islamic apparel" to deem it's appropriateness. Oppressive, controlling attitude needs to be stopped. This mindset will only lead to downfall.
@Tayyaj: You are the only person whose comment made sense. :) Imagine listening to news in Stephen Hawking's voice.
just take them in right sense
atleast u can luk clean to avoid dirt from not all but many
This is why Pakistan has so many frustrations because everything is banned. So what if the news anchor didn't wear a dupatta or that we have Indian models in our ads? Citizens should have enough freedom to make their own choices rather than banning everything. No wonder we fail as a nation. Very disappointing. Lets just ban women from getting out of the kitchens completely, I would not be surprised if that actually happened!
From the waist up a dupatta on the head - to be seen by everybody. Below the waist she can wear shorts and sneakers - not seen by anybody. That would be a perfect picture of our national mindset .................. hypocrisy in spades.
why only news channels? why not dramas, commercials, talk shows??? heck, why have women come on tv at all??? and we need to ban all the english channels all together. better yet, lets forbid women from stepping out of the house, it takes time away from incest anyways...
So, SANA BUCHA will wear dupatta too ??
@Ali Hasan: What is so decent about it???? Next would be to cover face and hands and only show eyes of the news anchors. Dont you think you are trying to immitate Saudi, taking away all the rights and freedom of women.
Pakistan is sliding from bad to worse. Government is trying to divert the attention of the public from problems of the country by addressing issue so trivial.
High time that the NA Standing Committee should be introduced with the awesome invention of remote control
Great. The next move should be to ensure that all male anchors/announcers/newscasters on the TV wear caps and grow beards and shave off their mustaches. The length and the style of the beards also needs to be regulated and carefully monitored and measured to ensure that they comply with the prescribed standard lengths.
@Fugitive This time is very near.
Stop this rubbish. Let them wear what they want.if it is not acceptable to anyone change channel.
@Raj - USA: Why not switch off video altogether ? just play audio and show homegrown commercials. But again if in some later point in time, women's voices start turning people on, we may have to apply some digital filter to change female voice into say, some robotic voice.
@Fugitive: yes i believe that will be the next step
Wearing and not wearing dupatta should be a choice. If you are talking Islamically then Islam does not have to be imposed on women only. Men should be made to act in the way Islam wants them to but they are never forced. Why always the women? Men should grow beard, wear shalwar kameez and not be hosting shows at namaz time because its obligatory for them to pray is the masjid. But are they forced to?? No, why?? Why are women made to forced when men arent?? This is unfair. Women have the same rights as men. And making the women wear dupatta wont make this country a better place for us to live in.
@MMB"PPP this is getting a bit too much.. Yoiu are disrespecting benazir’s struggle, i think you’ve adopted zia ul haqs ideology, you’ve prolly buried the ppl ideology with benazir and bhutto. God help this country." Dopatta has always been a symbol of Benazir. In other words, Benazir was a symbol of Dopatta.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: Whats so wrong if female use to wear duppattas huh? its our religious as well as culture to wear duppatta..@muhammad ali siddiqui, you are one of those who tries to show yourself modern, educated and lighten by adopting western culture and forgetting Islamic duties.. I wish Zia comes back, if he is the only person who can implement laws in the country..
Has anyone seen female guests in TV talk shows appearing with their face fully covered with veil? I have seen two on Pakistan TV channels just 2 months ago. It was so funny !!!!!!!! Camera zooming on the veil covered face !!!!!! Just watched for 5 minutes, not the full talk show. Never watched such TV shows even when I was in the Islamic countries of the Gulf.
It is good to dress modestly and TV stations can have dress codes for the anchors and newscasters but it should not be dictated by the state. Secondly, is state going to advice the male newscasters and anchors to wear caps too? If not, why? What about growing beard? Size of beard? Size of shalwar? ……. All our present day problems are outcome of Zia’s Islamization without addressing the root causes of the issues. Now look at the outcome? Are we better Muslims now? Are we more righteous now? Are we more ethical now? Are we more disciplined now? Are we more honest now? Are we better Pakistani now? Are we better human being now? I wish Allah bestow a wise and just ruler who can understand and correct the real problems of our society instead of doing just some subjective actions to fool the masses.
next ban would be not to look into the camera. read news from a hardcore copy in front and not into the camera. :D
Once you start this, there is never an end. How about them showing off their hands and necks? Lets not mention the lipstick they wear. Where are we going to stop? It seems like the resurrection of Zia ul Haq.
Why not make the burqa and nikab compulsory for female anchors like in Egypt? After all, it is more Islamic!!
There are a few well endowed anchors whose tailors know what fitting means - I hope they get are not victimized in the greater interest of entertainment starved public. ;)
So glad to know that the house has its priorities correct. Lets forget about and do nothing to solve the multiple menaces facing us today , i.e target and other killings sectarian violence, ransom kidnappings, rats eating poor little kids in govt hospitals, inflation, the destruction of all institutions and be more concerned about womens clothing. Idiots one and all.
Why not ban women news casters altogether?
A classic feature of a failed regime; when they have nothing else to show, they revert to such gimmicks
Dupatta has always been an important part of Pakistani shalwar kameez. It denotes decency and modesty. I am glad this ruling exists because gradually 'westernizing' ourselves ( and our thoughts as I've noticed above ) doesn't make us either modern nor educated. Let DECENCY AND MODESTY PREVAIL IN OUR SOCIETY!!!! Ameen!
This is how our capable politicians are working day and night to address and solve the problems of this country. Good job people, getting these buffoons into the parliament.
Pakistan continues the slide into the abyss of religious fundamentalism. We urgently need a local version of Christopher Hitchens.
More important was the point to ban foreign commercials, better tax them heavily to flourish local industry. Liberals should not worry only Duppatta is compulsary :)
Beating by Taliban it seem has not teach lesson to punjab politician.
PPP this is getting a bit too much.. Yoiu are disrespecting benazir's struggle, i think you've adopted zia ul haqs ideology, you've prolly buried the ppl ideology with benazir and bhutto. God help this country.
good proposal ! the face should also be covered
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui:
The GHOST of Ziaul Haq hangs around Info Ministry and National Assembly.
zia is backkkkk!!!wohooo!!
And Please Cut the "CHAAKs" at after some length!! No need to show wavy buttocks while walking to Podium for Humming the News in Poetry so KARDASHIANLY!!! :p
as long as they are pretty decently dressed I don't understand why a dupatta is necessary?! should be a matter of choice not compulsion.
@Sohail: your statement tells that you think only about one thing.
Why do we need to adhere withe symbols of dupatta and head scarf. Faith is a personal issue and people who think dirty will always think dirty.
Hahahaaaa Pandora Box is open now ;) Killing is not as big problem as this is.
If some one says anything about Behayai (بےحیائی) than he had done the biggest crime of all time ;)
Why not giving business to Pakistani ad agencies? why India they are not better than us in this department.
It smells Zia's so called Islamization.
It is not covering the head but covering the chest that is obligatory.
Yes, of course they should read news while dressing decently
Is Ziau-ul-Haq back in town?
and what about.. the ending lines.. speacially at late nite bulletins.. "Hamaray Sath Rahiyega, Hamai apka intezar rahega.."
Excellent and a decent proposal..