ISTANBUL (Staff Report) – Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) move to ban all type of birth control advertisements on TV has received immense criticism from social activists.
The move has, nevertheless, received support from powerful quarters, including the camp of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
In a recent speech broadcast on TV, Erdogan urged all pious Muslims to have more children, saying that nobody could interfere in God’s work.
“No Muslim family should get involved in birth control measures or family planning,” he said, condemning those using modern birth control.
He added that Muslims were meant to multiply their descendants, and placed the duty of bringing many children in the world on mothers.
Related: PEMRA bans birth control ads, says parents concerned about children “asking questions”
Previously, Erdogan, who has been in power for the last decade, had also equated birth control with treason.
Last week, the PEMRA had announced to ban the advertisement of birth control products, threatening legal action against those violating its orders.
Explaining the decision, PEMRA said it had received complaints from concerned parents who did not want to answer their children’s questions about birth control.
The order was, however, withdrawn only a day after being issued by the authority, citing the reservations of civil society. The authority will, however, require that birth control advertisement be aired only after 11:00 pm at night.
