Pakistan bans ‘immoral’ condom ad (VIDEO)
The LA porn industry is temporarily shutting down to combat a syphilis scare. A ballot initiative set for the November 6 election would require adult performers across Los Angeles county to wear condoms in X-rated film shoots.
An "immoral" condom ad featuring one of Pakistan's most famous actresses will not be seen on the airwaves anymore after public complaints.
Pakistan's media regulator forced TV networks to remove the ads for "Josh" condoms from their programming immediately.
The 50-second ad features actress and model Mathira Mohammad as a glamorous newlywed.
When the couple's neighbors wonder how her new husband landed such a beautiful wife, the lucky man replies, "Bring Josh into your life."
"Josh" translates as "excitement" in Urdu.
Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) called the ad "indecent, immoral and in sheer disregard to our socio-cultural and religious values."
"Airing of such immoral advertisement on Pakistani channels and that too in the holy month of Ramadan warrants serious action," spokesman Fakhar-ud-Din Mughal wrote.
Mohammad, 21, spoke up in defense of the ad, claiming that sexual education is an important message.
"I didn't do this ad for the money. I did it because Pakistanis need awareness. Sexual education is compulsory for kids all over the world, but not here," Mohammad told NBC News.
"The ban has really blown things out of proportion, and millions of people who wouldn't have watched it are now downloading it, just because of the hype," she added.
Contraception is a taboo subject in the devoutly Muslim country. According to the United Nations, a third of Pakistanis who want birth control have no access to it.
Some experts warn the country's population is rising too fast to be supported by its natural resources.
Pakistan's population of roughly 180 million is growing at more than 2 percent a year.