Pakistan TV Show Gives Away ... Babies

By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 1, 2013 2:23 PM CDT
Pakistan TV Show Gives Away ... Babies
   (Shutterstock)

Next time someone complains that American TV has gone a little too far, suggest they take a look at the new gimmick of one of Pakistan's most popular shows: free baby giveaways. As in, actual human babies. Host Aamir Liaquat Hussain gave away two infant girls last month and plans to keep going, reports Reuters. Witness the posting on his website: "If any family cannot afford to bring up their new born baby due to poverty or illness then instead of killing them, they should hand over the baby to Dr Aamir."

The first two babies were provided by a Pakistani aid organization that takes in abandoned infants, and both the show and the organization insist that the recipients were vetted. "If we didn't find this baby, a cat or a dog would have eaten it," Hussain told his cheering audience before handing over one of the baby girls to a childless couple. Reuters explains that Pakistan has loosened its control over broadcasting in recent years, leading to a slew of such ratings-grabbing stunts. CNN describes this particular show, Aman Ramazan, as a Pakistani version of The Price is Right. Audience members typically win prizes for correctly answering questions about the Koran. Only now, the show is giving away babies along with fridges and microwaves. (More Pakistan stories.)

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