Police Uncover Mistranslation Mistake Behind Obscene Video Incident in Karachi’s DHA

The police registered a criminal case and arrested a suspect after an obscene video was displayed on digital advertising screens in Karachi’s Defence Housing Authority (DHA) on Thursday.

South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Asad Raza told Express Tribune that during the investigation, police arrested a company employee who stated that another video already stored on his mobile phone had been mistakenly played on the SMD screens. The suspect further disclosed to investigators that the actual videos sent by the company for advertising purposes were saved on his mobile phone.

The case was registered at the Gizri Police Station under Section 292 (sale of obscene books) of the Pakistan Penal Code, based on a complaint from the company’s legal adviser, Shakir Ali. The complaint stated that an inappropriate video had been broadcast on a digital screen near the Ayesha Manzil signal on Khayaban-e-Ittehad. According to the first information report, the company’s operations director informed Ali by phone at 9:37 AM on Wednesday about the obscene video running on the screen. The complainant said he went to the site and had the screen switched off.

The complaint also indicated that the company’s management suspected unauthorized access to the system by one or more employees who intended to defame the company, leading to residents staging protests. Authorities took precautionary measures by temporarily shutting down digital screens installed on other major roads in DHA, as well as on Shahrah-e-Faisal and Karsaz Road.