Mr Patlu’s wedding

When I once wrote a The Side Mirror about the past affairs of Aishwarya Rai and Salman Khan, one reader sent me an angry comment. He advised me to stop wasting time on such subjects and take up serious matters instead.

I understood his point. After all, Pakistan has no shortage of serious issues. We have political instability, economic troubles, unemployment, expensive electricity, struggling hospitals and an education system that needs urgent attention.

I usually enjoy writing about such dry subjects, often connecting them with my personal experiences of Lahore and London. But Pakistan, my homeland, is such a fascinating place that it keeps producing unusual stories that are difficult to ignore.

For the last two days, I have been thinking about the wedding celebrations of TikToker Mr Patlu in Sialkot. What was supposed to be a wedding celebration turned into a tragedy. One person died, another reportedly died later, and 18 people were injured in a stampede. Police have registered a case against Mr Patlu, his brother, organisers and dozens of other people. Six people have reportedly been arrested.

According to the police, the organisers promoted a lucky draw through social media, offering motorcycles, a car and other valuable prizes. A large crowd gathered. Then came the announcement over the loudspeaker asking people to enter the ground at the same time. What followed was chaos.

The district administration says the permission granted for the private event had already been cancelled because the organisers violated its conditions. Mr Patlu, meanwhile, says he had obtained permission and describes the incident as an unfortunate accident.

There is another story emerging from this wedding. A woman claiming to be Mr Patlu’s first wife has appeared in a social media interview, alleging that they married in November 2021 and that he later divorced her after four years. She has also accused him of mistreatment and threatening to leak private videos. These are serious allegations and must be investigated rather than treated as established facts.

But let us step back and look at the bigger picture.

A few months ago, our media seemed almost captured by the wedding celebrations of another social media personality, Rajab Butt. Every development, every guest, every photograph and every disagreement became breaking news. Now Mr Patlu has taken his turn.

Why are we so fascinated by these weddings? Why do millions of people watch videos of social media celebrities, discuss their clothes, count their guests and follow their family disputes?

There is nothing wrong with celebrating a wedding. Nor is there anything wrong with becoming famous through social media. The problem begins when popularity becomes more important than responsibility.

A wedding is a family occasion, not a public spectacle in which thousands of people must be attracted through prize announcements. If organisers invite large crowds, they must understand that they are responsible for their safety. A loudspeaker announcement cannot replace crowd management, emergency exits, trained security staff and proper planning.

The death of an ordinary citizen should not become just another trending hashtag.

I often compare life in Lahore with life in London. In London, large public gatherings require careful planning, crowd control and safety arrangements. Of course, accidents can happen anywhere, but organisers and authorities are expected to take their responsibilities seriously. Pakistan needs the same culture of responsibility.

Our media also needs to ask itself some difficult questions. We cannot complain about declining standards of public discussion while giving unlimited space to every detail of celebrity weddings and personal disputes.

I am not suggesting that newspapers should ignore these stories. They attract readers, generate traffic and reflect the changing nature of popular culture. But there is a difference between reporting a celebrity wedding and allowing it to dominate our news priorities.

Perhaps the most important lesson from the Mr Patlu episode is that social media fame brings responsibilities along with followers and financial rewards.

A wedding should end with memories, photographs and happiness. It should not leave families mourning their loved ones.