Pakistan’s controversy queen Veena Malik will not get a chance to repent her “sins” in the fasting month of Ramzan as a television channel has revoked the contract with her to host a special programme.
Veena Malik had signed a contract with newly-launched channel Hero television to host Astaghfaar (seeking God’s forgiveness for sins) during the fasting month of Ramzan that started on Saturday across Pakistan.
However, the promos of the programme sent a wave of anger among viewers who see Veena Malik as a face of sin for posing nude for an Indian magazine, her “un-Islamic” opinions of various issues and her “vulgar” songs for Bollywood films. The promos and trailers of the show, in which Veena Malik appeared with a teary face, sparked an outrage across social media platforms. Several blog posts alleged that this was only a marketing stunt and Hero television had never intended to air the show. Hero television later decided not to air Astaghfaar, in the face of a mounting public outcry and an online petition that had garnered plenty of support against its controversial host, Veena Malik.
The promo for Veena Malik’s Ramzan special made rounds on every social networking website, prompting hundreds of blog entries.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) subsequently took up the issue with Hero TV, after receiving over 3,000 complaints on its official website.
PEMRA spokesman Fakhruddin Mughal said that Hero TV’s Astaghfaar went against the authority’s code of conduct and hurt public sentiment and aspirations.