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Pakistani Regulator Bans Broadcasts Of Condom Advertisement

A Pakistani Josh condom advertisement.

Pakistan's media regulator has banned a condom advertisement from being aired on television, calling it "immoral" and contrary to religious norms.

Fakhar-ud-Din Mughal, a spokesman for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, said the September 14 decision to ban the Josh condom commercials came after the agency received "scores of complaints against the telecast of an objectionable and indecent advertisement for a contraceptive."

The advertisement features a large man approaching a roadside stall to ask for a small pack of condoms.

He is followed by a second man, who grins widely as he requests a larger pack while making a gesture with his hands that can be interpreted as lewd.

In Pakistan, a socially conservative Muslim country of around 200 million, sex and family planning is considered a taboo topic by many.

According to the United Nations a third of Pakistanis who want birth control have no access to it.

Based on reporting by AFP and Dawn