Ayesha Omar will be hosting Lazawaal Ishq, the ‘first Urdu reality show about love’
Shot in Istanbul, the YouTube series features Pakistani participants vying for love in a villa — with drama guaranteed.
Lazawal Ishq, what host Ayesha Omar described as the “first Urdu reality show about love”, is no longer available on YouTube in Pakistan.
“Our programme might not be watchable in Pakistan due to political reasons,” the show posted on its Instagram page.
It advised Pakistani viewers to use virtual private networks (VPNs) to continue watching.
The show, that features eight men and women from Pakistan living in a villa in Istanbul, follows the format of reality dating shows such as Love Island. It is based on Turkish reality TV show Aşk Adasi.
Lazawal Ishq, or Eternal Love, aired 50 episodes before it was taken off YouTube in Pakistan, though it is still available elsewhere. While clips of the show are available on Lazawal Ishq’s YouTube channel, the full episodes are not available.
YouTube did not immediately reply to an AFP request for comment on why the show was suspended.
The show’s trailer starts with the host, Omar, entering the villa in a white dress, where she meets contestants who are to choose a partner of their liking and test their compatibility over the course of the show’s 100 episodes.
She swiftly came under fire online for hosting a show that “promotes obscene and immoral content”, an increasingly common reaction to celebrities who deviate from conservative expectations.
Omar countered on Instagram that “this is not a Pakistani show… it is a Turkish production, but of course people in Pakistan can watch it.”
The Urdu-language show proved popular, with the inaugural trailer getting over two million views.
The online buzz underscored a growing divide between Pakistan’s younger, digitally connected audience and traditional gatekeepers anxious about changing values.
“It was something fun to watch. A show that showed that people in Pakistan can and do date even though it is frowned upon,” one viewer who requested anonymity to speak freely told AFP.
But someone soon filed a petition to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), it said, seeking a ban and claiming the show goes against “Pakistan’s religious and social values by showing unmarried men and women living together”.
The regulator acknowledged receiving “a lot of complaints” about the show but said it did not have jurisdiction over digital platforms.
Pemra advised petitioning the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, which oversees online content. It did not respond to requests for comment.
This is not the first time YouTube has taken down a programme deemed offensive by conservative Pakistanis.
Last year, the show Barzakh, a family drama that touched on topics including love and spirituality, was removed on claims it promoted LGBTQ relationships.