Pakistani Serial Zabt Faces Severe Backlash Over Insulting Islam, Internet Reacts

The controversy erupted after episode 20 of the drama, which features actress Sara Ejaz

04 Jul 2026, 07:40 · NDTV

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Scene from Pakistani drama Zabt showed Islamic studies book thrown during emotional outburst
Geo Entertainment removed episode 20 of Zabt from its YouTube channel after backlash
Social media criticized the scene for hurting religious sentiments and demanded apology

New Delhi:

Popular Pakistani serial Zabt on leading entertainment channel Geo TV has landed in a massive controversy after a scene from the show attracted severe criticism on social media.

What's Happening

The allegation is that the channel did not exercise editorial discretion in broadcasting content that might hurt religious sentiments.
The controversy erupted after episode 20 of the drama, which features actress Sara Ejaz, in which she is seen expressing extreme frustration as she pulls books from a shelf and throws them around.
What eagle-eyed social media users spotted was one of the books that was thrown during her emotional outburst, which appeared to be an Islamic studies textbook. It featured an image of the Holy Kaaba on the cover, along with pages showing Quranic verses and Hadith that were visible as the sequence played out.
This has led to a very strong reaction online.

Internet Reactions

One user wrote, "Sahi hai.. kisi bhi religion mein accept nahi hoga."

Someone else wrote, "When you get high on fame."

Another comment read, "Jo hass rahe hai unko problem nai hai ke wo apni dharmik book ko kaha kaha fek dete hai unko khud nai pata iske baad woh mere comment mein gaali dene bhi aa jayenge but such yahi hai."

"Zaahil logo ka mulk hai ye," someone else mentioned.

"Don't give people more reasons to hate dogmatic Muslims," wrote another person.

How The Channel Has Responded

According to several reports, Geo Entertainment has now taken down episode 20 of Zabt from its official YouTube channel after the backlash.

Social media has also demanded an official apology from the makers, while some have asked regulatory authorities to examine the situation with seriousness.

For the unversed, Geo Entertainment was already embroiled in a furor over Muharram-related programming, and now Sara Ejaz's viral scene has further added fuel to public concerns about the network's editorial judgment.

The internet has pressed for more responsibility in portraying religious matters in fictional drama, saying controversial material should be properly edited or sanitised before being broadcast.

About Zabt

The plot of the Pakistani drama Zabt revolves around themes such as emotional conflict, strained relationships and personal problems. The narrative focuses on the consequences of life's difficult choices and the family tensions that accompany them. The drama has previously been praised for its intense storyline; however, the recent episode has led to widespread criticism.

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