In the space of a few days, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) banned and then reversed the ban on contraceptive ads in Pakistan. These quick series of events, which would have been missed by most if it were not for their controversial nature, are symptomatic of PEMRA’s equivocal decisions that result from the lack of thought that goes into them. Surely, it is not unreasonable to suggest that PEMRA should have at least considered that what it is banning is an important part of national agenda even if it was not willing to pay heed to the larger consequences on population control arising from its action. The stated reason for the initial ban was that contraceptive ads are not good for “innocent children, which get inquisitive on features/use of the products.” Notwithstanding the questionable liberty that the notification took with grammatical correctness, it goes to show the priorities of the authority as it weighed the supposed notions of public decency over the imperative of spreading awareness of safe sex and population control. It may not be so absurd to suggest that most Pakistanis live in a collective state of denial as they extol the supposed virtues of Pakistani society. Responsible for this state of affairs is the tendency of Pakistani society to brush issues under the carpet by deeming their discussion taboo, and not surprisingly sex tops this list. Concerned about the image of their country as ‘the land of the pure’, Pakistanis go to great lengths to block anything that would bring to the public gaze issues concerning sex. Public decency is an oft-used pretence in Pakistan to impose bans and curb freedom of expression. However, government does not realise that by restricting the space in which such issues could be debated and discussed and information concerning them disseminated, the illusory appearance of all is well will continue to prevail without addressing the underlying problems. This would not be so tragic if Pakistan did not suffer from serious problems of overpopulation and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). For a country that already faces massive poverty and an alarming rate of population growth, lack of information on contraceptives exacerbates the problem even further. Poor families that cannot afford to have many children are either forced to employ their children at minimal wage or even abandon them. The issue of female foeticide is a dark reality, which government may wish to keep under wraps. Infant mortality and deaths of mothers during delivery are unfortunate reminders of unavailability of proper information about childbirth and child rearing. The number of children under five dying of preventable diseases is staggering, and the unchecked population growth is not helpful in that aspect. Even ‘back alley’ abortions are part of the grim reality of Pakistan, and this happens both in poor and wealthy families. Moreover, STDs remain a widespread problem in Pakistan with unsafe sex being a major cause of HIV transmission. Surely, not talking about sex is not working well for Pakistanis. Hence, in such a deplorable state of affairs, it is pertinent that information on contraceptives be encouraged to be disseminated, and not stopped. And while PEMRA deliberates on this issue, it should keep in mind that being a department of the government it is its duty to address real issues rather than issue blanket bans on subjectively construed notions of public decency and morality.*