WATCH: Pakistan Anchors Sell Juice During Prime Time; Get Ridiculed As Video Goes Viral

A Pakistan news channel on Friday was seen enthusiastically peddling a juice brand during their primetime news bulletin at 9 pm, with the format heavily criticized.

Grab Of The Viral Video

New Delhi: Pakistan has introduced a new kind of journalism for its audiences. This journalism does not involve giving you breaking news or trying to provide you the correct information. It is way ahead of what one can expect. Pakistan news Channel 'Abb Tak' decided to sell news during its prime time show. The 2 anchors representing the 9 pm show were seen sipping juice during the live bulletin after the end of a commercial break and even introduced 'exciting offers' if you buy the juice. "Welcome back. No lucky draw, no wait, on every 200ml juice pack, get 300 GB super data. Keep buying the juice pack, scratch the pack and keep winning," said the anchors while peddling a juice brand for over 30 seconds post the commercial break.

Is this for real? Or someone's idea of a stupid joke? Well, ok I never saw news anchors as genuine journalists but selling juice during a news bulletin?!! This is insane!!! #news #anchors #journalism #JournalismIsDead #marketing #juice #Advertising #Pakistan pic.twitter.com/9eESpm13im

— Shazia Hasan (@HasanShazia) June 13, 2020

The video went viral on social media and the anchors are facing backlash for doing such infiltrated journalism.  While some people called the advertising act as a 'stupid joke', some said it is 'insane'. People are fuming with this new marketing stint which shows the reality of paid journalism by the Pakistan news channel. This is not the first time when Pakistan news channels and anchors have been criticised for such stints and spreading fake information a Pakistani news channel claimed that Coronavirus comes out only after 5 pm in the country. In the video which is sourced from a Pakistani news channel, the anchor can be heard saying, "A new research has come forward. It says that before 5 pm Coronavirus will not affect Pakistan. The Government has said you can do anything before 5 pm" While The Pakistan TV channels have been busy peddling fake news and misinformation, the country has reached 132,405 coronavirus cases after a record of 6,472 new infections were detected, while 88 more people have succumbed to the coronavirus, pushing the death toll to 2,551. Top leaders such as opposition party PML-N's leader and Nawaz Sharif’s brother, Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Khurram Sher Zaman, former Pakistan PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and incumbent Railway Minister Sheikh Rashid have tested positive for the disease. Also watch| Heavy rainfall predicted in Maharashtra