A dating show modelled on TV reality phenomenon Love Island, featuring Pakistani contestants, has sparked anger in the Muslim-majority country, despite no episodes having aired and the series being exclusively on YouTube.
Lazawal Ish (Eternal Love), hosted by Pakistani actress Ayesha Omar and filmed in Istanbul, is adapted from the Turkish format Ask Adasi. It brings together four Pakistani men and women in a luxury villa, with their every interaction filmed. This format clashes with Pakistan’s strict social norms, where extra-marital relationships are illegal and dating carries significant stigma.
