It’s an epidemic that’s engrossed every household in Pakistan. Mothers and girls alike sit in anticipation every week. It’s captivated the minds and hearts alike of Pakistani’s across the globe. It’s left us in tears, fits of laughter or simply spellbound at times.
Unfortunately, I’m not talking about lawn fever. I’m referring to HUM TV’s extraordinaire drama, Mann Mayal. A drama to be applauded and commended for it’s stellar performances, somewhat laudable characterisation and that’s about it for myself.
That’s right, Mann Mayal could have been much more and unfortunately it remains that for this instance. The drama has taken a perilous road and does not seem that it intends to reverse anytime soon. The drama has openly invited unethical, borderline criminal behaviour elements to the story development and they’ve clearly overstayed their welcome.
My concern remains with the depiction of the male protagonist, the self-made, over-zealous Devdas akin figure pining for his love lost, Salahuddin. I’m really not sure whether the writers are aware of the domino effect that this may in turn have on our Pakistani society. Let me get this straight, you’re actually telling me it’s okay that I pursue my love despite the fact that she’s married and a mother to two children, it’s okay that I follow her every move, it’s okay that I ask my office employee to disguise himself as help and keep an eye on her on my behalf, it’s okay that I pose as a baba jee (elderly wise man) over social media?
Honestly, you have got to be kidding me.
In a parallel universe, where Manahil was a strong headed and legally equipped Pakistani female not clouded by her love for her decade old-lover, she would most certainly file a first information report (FIR) on the counts of stalking, harassment and to sweeten the deal, online impersonation. However, that is a mere impossible scenario to occur as I draw your attention to the lack thereof Pakistani laws sufficiently addressing cyber laws.
Yes, there are countless Bills and legislations pertaining to cyber crimes yet the focus is on commerce and illicit data retention within them. Bringing your attention to the harassment and stalking aspects, Pakistan does not have a specific set of laws that address stalking. Essentially it paints a miserable picture of women rights in Pakistan, though this may not be essentially the case.
Fear not my female Pakistani counterparts, all hope is not lost. The adoption of the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Bill (PECB) 2015, by the National Assembly of Pakistan, provides for specific sections that outline the protection of women online, cyberstalking being the foremost concern. I must condemn the writers though for not having posed Salahuddin as your typical Facebook roadside Romeo, who usually ends up gathering dust in a corner of your filtered messages inbox.
Salahuddin, you my friend would be every criminal lawyer’s dream, every law reformer’s delightful guinea pig and every judge’s reason to enact swift and fair justice.
As the saying goes, every dog will have his day, you my sir, will also have your day in court.
See you at the Bar table.
