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Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Our love-hate relationship with Dr. Aamir Liaquat Hussain

News Desk |

Like it or not, Aamir Liaquat Hussain is one of the biggest TV personalities in Pakistan. Known for stirring up controversies, Hussain has now been banned by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (PEMRA) from appearing in any TV channel for thirty days.

The former politician served as a Minister of State for Religious Affairs for some time before he transitioned to Radio broadcasting and ultimately TV. Since his appearance on TV, the television host has been embroiled in one controversy after another.

During his show ‘Ramzan Main BOL’ he bashed a caller when he asked a religious question, hurting the sentiments of different sects in Pakistan.

In 2008, he created a stir when he seemed to promote Ahmadi killings on air. Consequently, two Ahmadis were murdered in the next two days. The host also found himself in hot waters when a video leaked showing him treating his religious guests with disrespect, making light of rape and even going as far as to sing Indian songs and refer to Bollywood rape scenes.

Although he publically denied saying all those things (instead of suggesting that the video had been doctored), he admitted to ‘The New York Times’ that it was simply him showing “his lighter side”.

Read more: Salman Ahmed’s discontent regarding Aamir Liaquat

Hussain’s Geo Entertainment show Inam Ghar was also stopped by PEMRA for three days after he reenacted a girl’s suicide on live air. He was banned again in December 2017 after he was accused of “handing out fatwas (religious edicts) on kufr (cardinal sin) and treason, which have put the lives of a number of people in danger”.

This time the televangelist has been barred for thirty days after he broke several PEMRA laws by using religious pretexts to create sensation and generate high ratings. During his show ‘Ramzan Main BOL’ he bashed a caller when he asked a religious question, hurting the sentiments of different sects in Pakistan.

He then walked out in a fury after he got into a debate with one of the Ulemas present leaving the other guests to begin debate on their own. According to PEMRA, Hussain’s’ show’s content violated Section 20(b), (c) (f) of Pemra Ordinance 2002, among others.