Gala Biscuit ad is a Mujra, says Ansar Abbasi: Why?

Immorality, unlike anything criminal, cannot be put behind bars or restricted through imposing bans. Morality is a plant that is nurtured with care, tolerance, and love; not with hatred, and oppression. Morality thrives when you give people the freedom to think and express themselves the way they deem fit. The elements of moral-policing, just like Ansar Abbasi has always been doing, is the sign of ethical, and moral degradation in society. Gala Biscuit ad has nothing wrong to upset a sane mind although it has little value as far as advertising and marketing standards are concerned.   

The undue criticism by the thought-police Mr. Ansar Abbasi generated a storm on social media. Everyone has his/her reason to criticize the Gala Biscuit ad. Criticism is the right of every individual. As I said earlier, from the advertising point of view the ad has many flaws but it does not mean that the ad should be taken off-air. PEMRA has issued directives to the broadcasters and advertisers to refrain from using inappropriate content.

Watching the ad, all of us, including Mr. Ansar Abbasi, has witnessed Mehwish Hayat dancing. We are so obsessed with the opposite sex that we are unable to see anything else. The habit of looking at the glass half empty has riddled our minds with sickness. Gala Biscuit ad has done something that our government should be focusing on, promoting nationalism.

The federation of Pakistan has never been strong. The problem of Baluchistan has been haunting the country since 1947. Sindh harbors the sentiment of mistrust and hatred towards the Punjabi/Pathan dominant establishment, while KPK has issues of its own. In such a scenario talking about nationalism can heal many wounds. It is time to let go of our regional prejudices and talk about the nation of Pakistan to make the federation strong. Mere Des Ka Biscuit Gala is an important slogan in this regard.

Dance is an art form. If fully clothed Mehwish Hayat dancing is obscenity then what about the actresses dancing in films and the women performing live Mujra in theaters? And why morality stats with a woman and ends with a woman? It is high time to get rid of the intellectual filth that is sucking the life out of our society.

The morality of a society should be gauged not by how its women are dressed or whether they dance provocatively or not but on how its people are treated in hospitals, how the children are taught in schools, how people behave on roads, and how well the hard-working labor is paid. Moral policing is always attempted to draw attention away from the real issues.

Mere Des Ka Biscuit Gala is a great brand idea but its execution has not yet been done in a way to move the nation. The brand always banked on the power of song and dance. The current Gala Biscuit ad has done the same. PEMRA has no jurisdiction to pull an ad off-air due to the displeasure of certain people. It did in the case of the Coke Extremist campaign but the Gala Biscuit ad is all about nationalism.