Commercialization, dozens of channels and low censorship policy implementation since last decade… Pakistani dramas and their production increased… last century… PTV was only medium of entertainment… Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawer and Quetta centers used to compete with each other… We had seen quality dramas like dhoop kinary, guest house, hawain etc…
What are other reasons beside commercialization? Are we liking Indian Soap serials more? Did that(Indian Soap) impacted on Pakistani showbiz industry?
Why are writers of Pakeeza, and Khawateen digest are getting popularity in showbiz? Are they writers for real?
Re: TV scripts - then and now
The good thing about having dozens of channels and commercialization is that it's good for the economy. A lot more people have opportunities to work and make a living in the entertainment industry now than was the case when a single channel had monopoly over electronic media. Plus people can be more selective in what they watch. And now there are channels in multiple languages in Pak so they can watch TV in their own native languages too.
But just because there are more TV channels around now shouldn't mean the channel that used to produce good shows with quality scripts in the past should stop doing so now. Maybe there is still some quality stuff produced in Pak by less popular channels but that is not getting enough attention of audiences because they tend to gravitate toward the bigger, flashier channels? Perhaps tastes and sensibilities of people have changed now too so they are more interested in Star TV style soaps and media is only responding to what the majority of the audience seems to want?
I think if digest writers are popular, their stories probably continue to resonate with a lot of people who don't necessarily consider those digests as some great literature but are still captivated by those digests or their TV adaptions because they can relate to it or just find it entertaining. But media production houses should always be on the lookout for other playwrights and talented writers as well who can offer more original and better scripts.