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Over the course of its 17 episodes so far, Dar-e-Nijaat on ARY Digital has sparked a wide range of debates surrounding relationships, heartbreak, redemption and hypocrisy.

Member of the Punjab Assembly Hina Parvez also joined in the conversation on Saturday, using the drama to highlight the importance of honest conversations between couples.

In an Instagram video, Butt, who is also the chairperson of the Punjab Women Protection Authority, urged married couples to communicate with each other. She shared her views after playing the infamous break-up scene from Dar-e-Nijaat, in which the antagonist, Zamil (Nameer Khan) tells his long-time girlfriend Zaryab (Durefishan Saleem) he can’t marry her because she isn’t a good enough Muslim wife for him.

“After marriage, there may be things from the past, an old relationship, or something personal that you would prefer to keep private. But if such a secret comes to light, it can have an impact on your relationship,” Butt said, before cautioning against anger, as it rarely solves a tense situation.

“Husband and wife should talk openly with each other. Instead of hiding things or lying, try to address the matter together. If there is a misunderstanding, resolve it through honest communication,” she added.

Butt also highlighted the importance of respect and trust in a marriage and advised couples not to ‘taunt’ each other by bringing up any past relationships or mistakes.

“Leave the past in the past. Work towards making your present better,” she said in the video.

It’s refreshing to see a government official use a television drama to talk about a broader social topic.

In Pakistan, getting into a relationship before marriage, covertly or overtly, is still considered — to a great extent — socially unacceptable. In fact, there is a significant part of the country’s population that looks down upon even engaged couples seeing each other before marriage.

As a result, more often than not, people are either unable or unwilling to openly talk about past relationships with their spouse. Due to the patriarchal nature of Pakistani society, this lack of communication is more common among women, who are expected to conform to a certain stringent standard of purity.

Consequently, more women also suffer harsher consequences for having, as Butt phrased it in her video, a ‘past’. This is exactly what Dar-e-Nijaat is attempting to highlight through its plot.

Pakistani dramas lately have helped spark important social debates and the fact that their messages are being used by lawmakers to spread awareness regarding key social issues is certainly commendable.