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ISLAMABAD: A dating show modeled on “Love Island” that features Pakistani contestants has sparked anger in the Muslim-majority country, despite no episodes being aired yet, and the series being only accessible on YouTube.

The country's broadcasting regulator said Saturday it was not in a position to act on the public complaints because it had no authority over the streaming platform.

Lazawal Ishq, or Eternal Love, is hosted by Pakistani actress Ayesha Omar and filmed in Istanbul. Adapted from the Turkish format, Aşk Adası, and resembling the successful “Love Island” international franchise, it brings together four Pakistani men and women in a luxury villa where their every interaction is filmed. In Pakistan, extra-marital relationships are illegal, and there are stigmas around dating.

Last week, Omar shared a teaser of her cruising along the Bosporus before welcoming contestants into the villa. But the promo quickly drew criticism online, with detractors labeling the format “un-Islamic” and accusing it of copying Western culture.

The flood of public complaints about the Urdu-language show prompted Pakistani regulators to issue a clarification, saying they were unable to do anything.

Muhammad Tahir, a spokesperson for the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, said Saturday that the program was neither being broadcast on mainstream media nor on any television channel licensed by the authority.

“It does not fall within our domain,” Tahir told the Associated Press. “We do not regulate YouTube, and this content is not from any television channel. The general public is not aware that YouTube lies outside our regulatory scope."

The host, Omar, told the Pakistan-based Fashion Times magazine last week that the project was “a first of its kind for Pakistani and Urdu-speaking viewers.”

She said the show would feature “love, bonding, and competition,” with audiences witnessing “every spark, every fight, and every heartfelt connection.” Over the course of 100 episodes, the eight contestants compete in challenges and form alliances until one couple emerges as the winner.

Nobody from the show was immediately available for comment.

Lazawal Ishq is scheduled to debut on YouTube on September 29.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari and Chinese officials have vowed to boost trade, cultural and people-to-people relations between both countries, Zardari’s office said on Friday, following his interactions with Chinese leaders in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region.

President Zardari has been on a ten-day visit to China since Sept. 12, where he has met Chinese political, business and industry leaders to strengthen cooperation between Pakistan and China in diverse sectors.

On Friday, the Pakistan president attended a dinner hosted in his honor by Nie Zhuang, Vice Governor of Xinjiang and the Communist Party Secretary of the Kashgar city, according to Zardari’s office.

Welcoming the Pakistan president, Vice Governor Nie highlighted the centuries-old relations between people of the Kashgar and the people of Pakistan.

“Kashgar greatly valued its friendship with Pakistan and looked forward to enhancing cooperation in trade, culture, and people-to-people exchanges,” Nie was quoted as saying by Zardari’s office.

President Zardari expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and said he was deeply impressed by the “remarkable progress” he had witnessed across various Chinese cities.

“I feel energetic after meeting the Chinese people, as their warmth leaves a positive impact on me and gives me positive energy,” he said, complimenting President Xi Jinping for his visionary leadership in transforming China into a major economic power.

Pakistan views China as an important strategic ally and investment partner, which has funneled billions of dollars into the country under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) energy and infrastructure project for over a decade.

On Friday, Pakistani and Chinese enterprises signed multiple memorandums of understanding (MoUs) for the establishment of a textile industrial park, supply of advanced emergency equipment and to modernize livestock sector in Pakistan, with President Zardari overseeing the signing ceremony.

The Pakistani president said the agreements would open new avenues of cooperation between Pakistan and China in sectors that directly support Pakistan’s economic growth and public welfare.

“Modernizing the livestock industry will help improve food security and create job opportunities in rural areas, the textile park will boost industrial development and exports, while the partnership on fire trucks and emergency equipment will strengthen Pakistan’s capacity to respond to disasters and protect communities,” he was quoted as saying by his office.

Beijing is Pakistan’s largest trading partner, with bilateral trade topping $25 billion in recent years, while Chinese firms have also invested heavily in Pakistan’s power, transport, infrastructure, telecommunication and other projects.

Earlier this week, both sides signed multiple agreements to strengthen cooperation in agriculture, environmental protection and mass transit.