Pakistan partially lifts ‘Ban’ on the broadcast of Birth Control ads

Pakistan has banned advertisements of contraceptive products on television and radio. But, a recent report says, Pakistan's broadcasting regulator has partially lifted the ban on advertising contraceptive products on radio and television.

The motto behind this ban is to reduce exposure of sexual contents among inquisitive children.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said, "it was acting in response to complaints from parents and its ban covered all contraceptive, birth control, and family planning products."

The general public is very much concerned about the exposure of such products to children. Pakistan is a conservative Muslim country which is a home to nearly 190 million people. Talking about sex in public in Pakistan is taboo.

Pakistan population is growing by around 1.8 % per year. It is estimated that it will reach 240 million in the year 2030. This is a government initiative to encourage birth control in Pakistan.

The regulatory body has warned media organisations that legal actions would be taken if they fail to follow their directives. Advertisements of condoms and other birth control methods are also very rare in Pakistan.

United Nations data show that due to insufficient use of contraceptives nearly 2800 people have died of diseases like HIV/AIDS in Pakistan.

The government further said "Reduction in population growth is one of the top priorities of the government of Pakistan to maintain a balance between country's resources and population.

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-by Pritam

Pritam is pursuing engineering and is an intern at NewsGram. Twitter handle: @pritam_gogreen