ILLEGAL ADVERTISING IN PAKISTAN:

By Ifrah Rashid

O you who have attained to faith! Do not devour one another`s possessions wrongfully not
even by way of trade based on mutual agreement and do not destroy one another: for behold,
God is indeed a dispenser of grace unto thee! (4:29)

Pakistan (Islamic Republic of Pakistan) was established with great efforts and was attained after
loss of valuable lives…the ideology was to gain a separate entity for Muslims (true believers of
the religion, Islam) which condemns all illegal business practices. The reason behind quoting this
from the Quran is to make us understand how unlawful and unethical business practices or illegal
advertising can be! The modern era has forgotten most of the Islamic beliefs and we have
moderated our values in our own benefit and this is what most of today`s companies’ have done
to advertise their products or brands; in a manner that they forget the legal practices or legal
ways to be followed.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has described a rather detailed
code of conduct, for advertisers, cable operators and other such persons; according to which they
must follow certain rules and regulations. These rules and regulations and the details of the
ordinance can be viewed from their website1. When I started my research for this article I came
across the ordinance and was very much amazed that the content of certain ads and programs is
illegal. Even I couldn’t believe that companies of such high repute are also very likely to indulge
in illegal advertising. To make this whole article very clear let me first share the definition of an
Advertisement as described by PEMRA. “Advertisement” means a set of visual and audio
messages for the projection of a product, service, or idea with the object of propagating sale,
purchase or hire of the product, service or idea and for creating other related effects.

Today however companies have started to use advertisements as a means of defaming each
other. For example, the Jazz Ramadan offer ad, in which Azfar and Mani openly criticize
Ufone’s similar offer. The ads of cellular companies are very fast moving and show ups like
these leave a bad taste in the viewers’ minds. However this mal practice does not end here in fact
it extends to the whole of the world, as not only local Pakistani companies but international
companies of high repute are also indulgent in this menace.

In Section 20 of this same Ordinance now known as an Act, the authority has described a very
clear and concise code of conduct especially for media advertisers. Following are some of the
rules they have specified:

1
http://www.pemra.gov.pk/
 (a) Ensure preservation of the sovereignty, security and integrity of the Islamic Republic
of Pakistan;

(b)Ensure preservation of the national, cultural, social and religious values and the
principles of public policy as enshrined in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan;

(c) Ensure that all programs and advertisements do not contain or encourage violence,
terrorism, racial, ethnic or religious discrimination, sectarianism, extremism,
militancy, hatred, pornography, obscenity, vulgarity or other material offensive to
commonly accepted standards of decency.

(d)During a regular program a continuous break for advertising shall not exceed three
minutes and duration between two such successive breaks shall not be less than
fifteen minutes.

With these three rules in mind there are a couple of ads that I may discuss here as examples of
illegal advertisements.

Nowadays a lot of developmental projects are in progress and every now then we can see ads of
these projects as well. Where can we see these ads; is a question that a few may ask; well
nowadays every common household has Cable Channels and each of these channels show these
ads. These ads are very vulgar and indecent however they are never protested against and go on
running as long as the cable wishes to run them.

Similarly the ordinance prohibits discrimination of all sorts, however we still see ads of fairness
creams, which not only openly discriminate against people with dark skins but also shape
peoples’ perception of beauty which is rather illegal as well as unethical. No individual or
company has the right to shape viewers perceptions, neither do they have the right to typecast
and degrade people.

In this context I would also like to discuss the emerging trend of sanitary pads ads and ladies hair
removing creams’ ads. Pakistan is an Islamic state and also the PEMRA Ordinance suggests that
no vulgar, indecent and obscene ad should be shown on television. However it looks to me like
advertisers and television channels either do not consider them obscene or they just want to
indulge in illegal practices. Both of the forth mentioned products are girls only and their
appearance on TV is discomforting for them; also these ads do not comply with Islamic values.

Also according to the PEMRA ordinance an advertisement should not be a means of false claims
regarding a product. This practice of false claims is not new however advertisers often tend to
use it for commercials of beauty soaps, detergents, anti bacterial soaps, cleaners etc. In these
commercials, particularly those of anti bacterial soaps, companies claim to have conducted
surveys of which no number is ever specified. Certain ads picture doctors recommending the
advertised soap which is illegal not only in the profession of advertising but also in the
profession of medicine. No doctor is allowed to prescribe soaps and even medicines of particular
brands or companies.
Similarly the ordinance also says that during a program a continuous advertising break shall not
exceed three minutes, and the minimum time interval between two breaks should be at least
fifteen minutes, both these rules have been put aside by advertisers and television channels.
Whilst watching a program it is very annoying to tolerate these ads.

I am not against advertising however they way advertising is being used in our country is very
disturbing. Apart from government inaction we viewers are also suffering from self inaction and
laziness. It is our right and duty to report such matters and take charge against this violation of
rules, regulations and rights. Is it perfectly alright to criticize, ridicule and discriminate against
dark skins? Can’t companies create awareness regarding the use of sanitary pads and hair
removing creams without showing their ads on TV? Can’t companies just advertise their own
product without criticizing their competitors? Can’t TV channel shorten the span of
advertisement breaks? Can’t soaps, detergents and cleaners be used without doctor
recommendations? The answer to all these questions is yes. However it is our laziness, inaction
and ignorance that has let advertisers, companies and television channels take advantage and
keep practicing their illegal practices. Even today if we want to stop them we can do so by
lodging complaints with the PEMRA in the manner prescribed by their ordinance2. It is never
late than ever.

2
http://www.pemra.gov.pk/