ISLAMABAD: Political decisions are keeping Pakistani television programmes off the streaming platform, says Maham Sajid, expert on Global Cultures.
Speaking on Pakistan TV Digital’s show South Speaks with Saqib, Sajid said political control, rather than commercial reasoning, drove the streamer's decisions.
Pakistani dramas have built a massive international following across South Asia, Europe, and North America.
Yet despite this widespread popularity, the country's television industry has virtually no footprint on Netflix.
She pointed to Pakistan's first original series for Netflix, "Jo Bachay Hain Sang Samait Lo," which remains unreleased despite production and post-production being complete.
She said sign-off authority for regional language shows rests with the company's office in India, despite the project being signed through its UAE office.
Cast and crew members remain under contract not to comment, she said.
Sajid said older series like "Humsafar" and "Zindagi Gulzar Hai" had also been removed from Netflix.
She linked this to broader efforts by Indian authorities to contain Pakistani culture, pointing to India's recent ban on Pakistan TV Digital's YouTube and X accounts.
She said the exclusion ignores clear global demand.
Popular Pakistani dramas bring in massive viewership on YouTube, with serials like Tere Bin drawing up to 50 million views an episode across South Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
Sajid said direct talks between Pakistani government officials and global streaming services were necessary to help local producers secure international distribution.
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