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Twitter slams Nida Yasir for asking insensitive questions from minor rape victim's parents

Twitter slams Nida Yasir for asking insensitive questions from minor rape victim's parents

It's 2020, #BanNidaYasir is trending but the morning show host just doesn't seem to learn.
Updated 18 Sep, 2020

It's 2020, and Nida Yasir's Good Morning Pakistan is still making headlines for all the wrong reasons; with the host paying no heed to mending her ways or learning a thing or two about sensitivity, despite all the criticism she receives.

With recent protests surrounding the anti-rape movement and the attention they have been gaining, Yasir's appetite for ratings thought it was a good idea to invite 6-year-old rape victim Marwah's parents and probe them at length about the murder of their child.

"How did you recognise her? Oh, she was wearing the same trouser? How did you realise she had been raped?" were only a few of the insensitive questions she relentlessly posed, as the mother sobbed and the father struggled to recall the sequence of events and narrate them on national television.

Crossing all boundaries of empathy, the host then turned to two other male guests on the show, wondering aloud how rape victims can be identified after the crime - all in the presence of those parents whom she passed no condolences to, let alone words of comfort, or a physical gesture of support.

While popularly known to go to bizarre lengths to secure ratings for her show, the audience is more than furious this time, reaffirming that they will not tolerate such behaviour anymore.

Pemra, you listening?

Some poured in suggestions on how to reach the authorities

Mocking someone's misery is not entertainment

This has happened way too many times

We couldn't agree more

Following the backlash, Nida took to social media to apologise to her fans, captioned "please forgive me" on her Instagram handle.

A photo posted by Instagram (@instagram) on

"Some people think by calling Marwah's father, I asked some inappropriate questions that I shouldn't have. First of all i'm sorry," she began, before going on to say that it was not her, who, reached out to the family in the first place.

"We did not approach Marwah's family, instead they, through Sarim bhai approached us because they needed media support. When such cases garner media support, organisations work faster," the Good Morning Pakistan host went on to explain. "God is witness to the fact that I did not do the segment for any sort of TRPs."

"Right now, Marwah's family needed my support, the support of my channel and the support of my platform - and I called them here as my diligent duty. Trust me, only two days after the show was aired, Marwah's rapist was captured. The family gave me lots of blessings. Marwah's father is a daily wage earner, a rikshaw wala. It is because of our program that they received financial help too."

While Nida's apology understands the importance of why cases should be highlighted on social media, it does not reflect her own unethical behaviour. Instead, Yasir toots her own horn; praising her own efforts and platform, conveniently dodging the actual reason behind audience's criticism towards her.

Having the resources to help someone, does not give you a free pass to be insensitive towards their trauma, or ask them probing details about their grief on national television. While Yasir might have had pure intentions, asking a sorrowful mother and a broken father to narrate gruesome details about their minor daughter's death is inconsiderate, gruesome and crude - and no amount of financial help or media attention takes away from that fact.

Comments

Anti-Corruption_Pakistani Sep 17, 2020 03:33pm
This is a classical example of cheap publicity and to be in the limelight through different means without realising its consequences.
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Shahid Sep 17, 2020 03:45pm
Who will stop these morning shows ??
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Hasnain Haque Sep 17, 2020 04:17pm
All that matters to her is that the ratings go up and she gets paid more.
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SMI Sep 17, 2020 04:36pm
Lifetime Banned her from entertainment industry
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Zeeshan Sep 17, 2020 05:16pm
Pathetic, indeed pathetic. It's a race to the bottom in our media or in any other profession as well. People want money whatever the way it comes
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Adil Jadoon Sep 17, 2020 05:38pm
Parents should take better care of their children but this is absurd.
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Mahmood Ahmad Sep 17, 2020 05:47pm
You don’t like the show!! Change the channel!!
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Kmkhan Sep 17, 2020 05:47pm
Pemra should ban nida yasir. Shame on nida yasir for using 5 year old girl for ratings
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Tuk Sep 17, 2020 06:42pm
As the case is under investigation, she should be arrested for corrupting it!
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Shiraz Sep 17, 2020 07:23pm
Here is a solution: STOP WATCHING HER SHOW. Trust me, she will go away.
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well-wisher Sep 17, 2020 07:31pm
Heartless Nida. Unacceptable in any country. Please apologise to parents who you probably paid to appear on show and to viewers and assure them that you will be a responsible host of a show. You have caused pain to the nation. Better still, stay at home.
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Khan Sep 17, 2020 07:33pm
This show should have banned decade ago.least we can do to do not watch it at all.
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NK Sep 17, 2020 08:05pm
Social media and commenting on it has limits too. There are lawyers sitting there they could have told her this and the program could have been edited.
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Ehsan Sep 17, 2020 08:06pm
Callous
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Khan Sep 17, 2020 09:19pm
Disqusting! Pls ban this show and give the host a lesson about how not to interview ppl. Shame! Khan, Norway
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khurram Sep 17, 2020 10:54pm
her show and Twitter account and future media appearence should be banned. What an insensitive person - to put it politely
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JUR USA Sep 18, 2020 07:26am
These media people are also the same. They equally torture. What a nonsense questions?
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Banglamitra Sep 18, 2020 08:55am
This is gross.
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Pakistani Sep 18, 2020 09:14am
Ban her forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ARK Sep 18, 2020 11:52am
Honestly, our ethical and moral decline was clear from this show. This was truly disturbing and shameful. I don’t even understand how this host stays on the air.
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