The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority Pemra has prohibited the broadcast of Geo TV drama Hadsa on a complaint by lawyer Khadija Siddiqi following criticism that the show was based on the motorway gangrape case . In September a French woman of Pakistani origin was gang raped on the LahoreSialkot motorway in front of her children while she was waiting for help .
The incident shook the country and drew strong reactions as protests were held in major cities . On August nearly three years after the incident Geo TV began airing the drama drawing criticism for similarities between the rape case and the storys plot allegedly not taking the rape survivors consent and the shows treatment of sexual assault and its graphic portrayal .
The makers of the show have denied that drama is based on incident . The survivor expressed her distress and rage on the depiction of her sexual assault in the past few weeks at the time . Journalist Fereeha Idrees took to Twitter to unveil a thread on her conversation with the survivor of the rape incident to cast a spotlight on the show on the matter .
The victim of the incident in a thread she said she was shocked to see details of her personal life which were only known to a few people were shocked to be revealed to the survivor . Pemras notice said the drama was in clear violation of the Rule of Conduct of Advertisements of rape terrorism which says the victims of rape terrorists and their family members should not be revealed .
The matter was further referred to the Council of Complaints for appropriate recommendations to PEMra for a final decision to PemRA. The matter has now been reviewed by the council of Complaint .
