Ayesha Omar defends Pakistani reality show Lazawal Ishq against Love Island comparisons

Ayesha Omar’s upcoming show, Lazawal Ishq (or Eternal Love), is trending on social media — albeit for all the wrong reasons. Presumably Pakistan’s first reality show on dating, Lazawal Ishq sparked a strong public reaction the minute its promo dropped on the show’s official Instagram page, with most people anticipating a poor copy of Love Island, while others calling for a boycott of such “immoral” content.

Omar, who is the show host, appears in the promo looking svelte in a gorgeous red gown, as she welcomes the viewers into a luxurious villa — the show’s location in the heart of Bosphorous, Istanbul. The viewers also get a glimpse of the contestants, most of whom are unfamiliar faces.

An Instagram user commented, “Iran did it, Korea did it, Turkey did it, Arabs did it — they all squeezed every drop out of this fake-love circus. And now, Pakistan wants to proudly line up for the same tired script, calling it ‘lazawal ishq.’ Let’s be real — it’s nothing but Cupid’s Cash Grab…”

Another became downright offensive: “Have some decency. It’s one thing to sin ... And another to publicise it!”

On X, several users have gone so far as to demand a ban by Pemra (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority).

Saner voices are being heard too. An Instagram post dubbed all criticism as hypocrisy: “People watching Netflix series and shows 24/7 and criticising this show. *Laugh emoji*”

In an exclusive chat with Gulf News, Omar addressed the backlash, calling it mere conjecture. “A lot of questions will be answered once the show is out,” she argued.

However, she made it clear that Lazawal Ishq “is not inspired by Love Island. It’s not even a dating show.

“Obviously, the promo’s got everyone speculating different things. Some people wrongly assumed that it’s about Pakistani boys and girls living together in a tropical villa. Let me tell you, the show [format] aligns well with our culture, principles and values. In our society, eternal love leads to the sacred union of matrimony, and that’s what the show is going to end up in.”

Omar revealed that Lazawal Ishq is an adaptation of a hit Turkish show, and it is backed by a Turkish production company.

When asked how the contestants were picked, she said, “I don’t know what the selection criterion was. There’s a Pakistani team that’s working on this [show] along with the Turkish team.

“I started filming only ten days ago, in Istanbul. I’m going to be here for another month shooting.”

Lazawal Ishq is expected to start streaming on YouTube soon.