ARY Faces Backlash For Mocking Pashtun Community

ARY Faces Backlash For Mocking Pashtun Community
Entertainment channel ARY Digital is facing backlash on social media for mocking the Pashtun community by stereotyping them in a negative manner in one of its hit comedy show ‘Bulbulay‘. Using the hashtag #BoycottAryDigital, social media users have been criticising the channel and demanding its management to apologise from the Pashtun community.

In the incriminating episode, characters in ‘Bulbulay‘ joke about a Pashtun person, hinting that he could only be expected to come with a ‘surprise packet’ of ‘naswar’ or a ‘bomb’.

https://twitter.com/IamAKhan_/status/1286228739710504961?s=20

Social media users have been condemning ARY Digital for stereotyping Pashtuns in a way that further exposes them to racial profiling in non-Pashtun regions of Pakistan.

“The way this shameless channel is spreading lies and deception, it should have been banned till now but unfortunately there is no real rule of law here and democracy is weak due to which such uncivilized channels play into the hands of powerful establishment,” a Pashtun rights activist said.

https://twitter.com/AlamzaibMahsud/status/1286238097106182144?s=20

https://twitter.com/xalmi2/status/1286362130690846720?s=12

https://twitter.com/johaibuswohai/status/1286373378312544270?s=20

A social media user said: “Our pathan brothers and sisters are our pride who have given great sacrifices for the country. No person or media house has any right to ridicule or mock a race, ethnic group or a community in any way.”

https://twitter.com/msheharyar19/status/1286368552551886851?s=20

https://twitter.com/Mukhtiarkhan678/status/1286351102368190466?s=20

https://twitter.com/jogezai_k/status/1286355764542689285?s=20

Bias against the Pashtun people is not something new. They are often thought of in a negative light and stereotypes about them being terrorists and criminals or buffoons are perpetuated freely in mainstream and social media in Pakistan.

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