PAKISTAN has banned advertisements for contraceptive products on television and radio over concern that they expose inquisitive children to the subject of sex, local media reported last Saturday (28).
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said it was acting in response to com- plaints from parents and its ban covered all contraceptive, birth control and family planning products.
“(The) general public is very much concerned (about) the exposure of such products to the innocent children, which get inquisitive on features (and) use of the products,” it said in a statement.
The ban came despite a government initiative to encourage birth control in Pakistan, which has a population of 190 million people.
It is unclear whether it will extend to the government’s own family planning publicity efforts. Provincial population welfare departments regularly run campaigns to educate citizens on the benefits of various forms of birth control.
Advertisements for condoms and other forms of birth control are rare in Pakistan. Contraceptive use is already low and fell by a further 7.2 per cent last year.
Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in northwest of London, in July 2024. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Crossbow murderer found guilty of raping ex-girlfriend
A 26-YEAR-OLD man who murdered three women in a crossbow and stabbing attack has been found guilty of raping one of them, his ex-girlfriend, a British court ruled on Thursday.
Kyle Clifford had previously pleaded guilty to the murders of BBC sports commentator John Hunt’s wife and two daughters at their home in Bushey, northwest of London, in July 2024.
The attack led to a manhunt before Clifford was found injured hours later in a north London cemetery.
A jury at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday convicted Clifford of raping 25-year-old Louise Hunt before killing her.
His sentencing for all the crimes is scheduled for Tuesday.
Clifford had admitted to murdering Carol Hunt, 61, and her daughters Louise and Hannah, 28. He had also pleaded guilty to charges of false imprisonment and possessing offensive weapons but denied raping Louise.
During the trial, the court heard that after killing Carol Hunt, Clifford waited for an hour before attacking Louise, tying her up, raping her, and then killing her with a crossbow. He later killed Hannah when she returned home from work.
The prosecution described Clifford, a former soldier, as committing a "violent, sexual act of spite" and said he was "enraged" after Louise ended their 18-month relationship. They told the court that he had "carefully planned" the attack.
Less than 24 hours before the killings, Clifford had searched for a podcast by social media influencer Andrew Tate, according to the prosecution. They argued that the murders were driven by the "violent misogyny promoted" by Tate.
Justice Joel Bennathan called Clifford’s crimes "dreadful" and "almost unspeakable".
(With inputs from AFP)