The Nida Yasir morning show knows how to remain in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. We get that TRPs are important to TV channels and the business thrives on paid advertisements but it is also very important to take into account the sentiments of the general public! Nida Yasir has a history of asking inappropriate questions and making absolutely tone deaf statements. TV actress Salma Zafar, who had recently gone through a divorce because her husband left her for another woman, was invited to Nida’s morning show. Nida Yasir asked Salma whether she received an invite to her husband’s marriage. It was uncomfortable to even watch the interview.
Similarly, she shared her shopping from an international trip with an audience that could not even imagine to afford it. From holding up her expensive branded bags for everyone to look at to trying out her new pair of sunglasses for the audience, the entire episode was just uncomfortable. She has received massive criticism in the past. Yet, for some reason her show keeps going on and people continue to watch.
This time, Nida has crossed all lines and stooped to a new low. She invited the parents of a recent rape-victim’s parents to her show. The victim was a 5 year old girl who was raped and left to die in a pile of garbage. The case caught media frenzy and is being discussed on social and mainstream. Nida yasir asks the parents to describe the situation. How was the body discovered? Was the face recognisable? You can see that the parents are absolutely heart broken. They have lost their beloved daughter to a horrendous crime but are repeatedly asked to go over the details. You can see that Marwah’s mother is quiet and trying to hold herself together until she finally breaks down. This incident is a tragedy not just for Marwah’s family but for every person in Pakistan who has children. We can only try to imagine their pain but we can most definitely understand the fear of not being able to think of our children as safe! The dramatic music and the tome-deaf questions are insulting not just to Marwah’s family but to the audience as well. You can use someone’s trauma to be a reason for your show’s TRPs.
We think that PEMRA must take strict action against this and must monitor the content of Nida Yasir’s morning show.