A young man was fatally shot by a security guard for merely filming a TikTok video. This tragic incident highlights Pakistan’s concerning stance towards its youth and their creative expression.
24-year-old Saad Ahmed was recording a video near Sereena Mobile Mall in Karachi’s Buffer Zone area when he was intercepted by 35-year-old security guard Ahmed Gul. In a shocking display of disproportionate force, Gul opened fire on the young man, ultimately taking his life.
The Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Central revealed that the incident occurred within the jurisdiction of the Taimooria police station, and the responsible security guard has been apprehended. However, during initial interrogation, the guard claimed that Saad had made “provocative gestures” towards him while recording the video – a flimsy justification for such a heinous act.
This tragic incident is not an isolated case in Pakistan’s troubling crackdown on youth culture and the popular video-sharing platform TikTok.
Alarmingly, Pakistan’s religious institutions have also joined the assault on creative expression and social media. On December 24, the prominent Jamia Binoria Town religious school in Karachi issued a fatwa (religious decree) declaring the use of TikTok illegal and ‘haram’ (forbidden), terming it the “biggest temptation of the modern era.”
TikTok
The fatwa outlined ten reasons supporting this stance, including condemning the presence of animal photos and videos, which are deemed forbidden in Sharia. It also criticized the creation and dissemination of “obscene videos by women” on the platform, as well as the practice of men and women engaging in dancing and singing, which is viewed as a means of spreading “obscenity and nudity.”
Furthermore, the fatwa accused TikTok of being a platform where scholars and religion are mocked and ridiculed, contributing to moral decay and wasting precious time.
This crackdown on TikTok and creative expression among youth is not limited to religious institutions. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has imposed partial bans on the video-sharing app multiple times, citing concerns over indecent or immoral content.
The nation’s youth deserve a nurturing environment that fosters creativity, not one that stifles their voices and aspirations through violence and oppressive decrees.