Pakistan got its first dating reality show in Lazawal Ishq and the people in the neighbouring country instead went lahaul vila kuwat. Translation: this dating show has got the goat of the Pakistanis for apparently promoting obscenity and moral corruption.
Shot in Bosphorus in Turkey's Istanbul and hosted by Pakistani actor Ayesha Omar, Lazawal Ishq is just another show in the dating reality format ruled by established counterparts such as Ask Adasi (Turkey) and the global phenonmenon Love Island.
While the Urdu phrase "Lazawal Ishq" means "everlasting love", a section of the Pakistani audience seems to have no love for this show that is aimed at exploring themes of eternal love, romantic connections, and the trials that come with it.
Lazawal Ishq revolves around four men and women who live together in a luxury villa under the scrutiny of cameras. The show, set to have 100 episodes, premiered on YouTube on September 29.
According to Pakistani media, a petition has been filed in Islamabad High Court to ban dating show Lazawal Ishq.
The petition states that "the content shown in the programme is against societal values and contrary to national ethics". It also accuses the show of promoting obscenity and moral corruption, pleading to the court to direct PTA (Pakistan Telecommunication Authority) and PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) to strictly monitor content broadcast on digital platforms and also seek guidance from the Council of Islamic Ideology in this regard.
From "cultural embarrassment", "guilty pleasure" to "brainrot", the show has been called many names.
Why are the producers of the 'Lazawal Ishq' show trying to be so modest? Instead of dressing Ayesha Omar in thrift store clothes , they should just make it a naked dating show !! Less expensive more TRP pic.twitter.com/yk528ANdk7
— B💫 (@bakhtawarsiraj) September 15, 2025
Lazawal Ishq isn't bold or progressive, it's a cultural embarrassment.
— Hamza Chaudhary (@HamzaCh789) October 5, 2025
A cheap copy of Love Island, mistaking vulgarity for confidence and imitation for innovation.
It doesn't make us modern, it makes us lost.
#lazawalishq #ayeshaomar #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/cQWQl1uaRe
lazawal ishq is this brainrot gen's midsummer chaos
— maryam (@maryamful) October 11, 2025
Then, there were some who wanted the show to not be cancelled.
PSA: Idk who needs to hear this but please don't cancel Ishq Lazawal. Someone of us are finding ourselves addicted to that madness. Please leave us alone and stop watching it if you have a problem!!
— M (@iskarmareal76) October 13, 2025
There's absolutely nothing wrong or 'immoral' about Lazawaal Ishq. It's a Youtube program & we can trust Pakistani adult viewers to decide for themselves whether they want to watch it or not. The Mullahs & State MUST NOT patronize us. Let us make our own choices pic.twitter.com/JanCg6CaYc
— Muneeb Qadir (@muneebqadirmmq) September 16, 2025
pakistanis just hate fun how is the lazawal ishq dating show going to harm you don't watch it if you don't want too
— Anoushey (@redhaireddesi) October 11, 2025
Lazawal Ishq had trending on social media for all the wrong reasons even before it premiered.
At the time, host Ayesha Omar said all conjecture will be put to rest once Lazawal Ishq airs, adding that it was not even a dating show.
In an exclusive interview with Gulf News, she said that Lazawal Ishq "is not inspired by Love Island. It's not even a dating show". She revealed that Lazawal Ishq is an adaptation of a hit Turkish show, and it is backed by a Turkish production company.
"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," Ayesha Omar had said.
The host even went on to claim that the show's 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".
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 10 days ago, in Istanbul. I'm going to be here for another month shooting".
Lazawal Ishq, amid controversy, continues to stream on YouTube on weekdays.
