It's the Pakistani equivalent of the Price is Right meets Jerry Springer. But instead of new televisions, the host is giving away...babies. Yep, you read right. In a bid to boost ratings during peek Ramadan viewing, controversial presenter Aamir Liaquat Hussain has been handing childless couples abandoned infants.
According to an article in the National Post, two babies have so far been doled out to audience members as part of Islam’s holy month celebrations, which some are interpreting as a holy "gift."
Described as a "heady mix of charity, piety and kitsch," Hussain's show may be a hit with viewers, but is it actually ethical?
“This is the beautiful girl who was thrown on a pile of garbage by somebody. See how beautiful and innocent she is,” he said in a recent broadcast, holding a baby girl up to the cameras.
A second baby was subsequently presented to a couple by a representative of Chhipa Welfare Association. It's not clear how or if the 'winning' parents were vetted.
“It just speaks to the commercialization of everything in Pakistani society including religion,” said Karachi-based writer Bina Shah. “And giving away the baby stunt on television was the worst violation of media ethics I can think of.”
Of course abandoned babies are a sad reality in Pakistan. Many are left to die in dumpsters.
But is giving them away, in a televised spectacle to boot, the proper forum to address the issue? Or is Hussain preying on the vulnerable at a time of religious fervour?
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