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Protest in Pak. against ban on Indian channels

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD Aug. 23. Perhaps for the first time in the history of Pakistan, there could be an agitation in support of the demand for an Indian service. The cable operators here have threatened to go on strike from tomorrow till August 31 in protest against the decision to re-enforce the ban on Indian TV channels.The chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, Khalid Shaikh, has accused the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) of "trying to protect private TV channels and Pakistan Television (PTV)".

He said that during their strike the cable operators would not show Geo, ARY Digital, QTV, The Musik, Indus Vision, Indus News, Indus Music, BBC, CNN and Fox News. The cable operators would show only PTV and sports channels.

"Some 19 months ago when the Government banned Indian channels citing heightened confrontation along the India-Pakistan border, we welcomed the decision and implemented the ban. But we fail to understand why a ban on Indian channels is being enforced again when there has been talk of a thaw in relations between India and Pakistan?" he asked.

He said the cable operators did not want to show Indian news channels, which spewed venom against Pakistan. "We want to show entertainment channels only. If the Government objects to channels showing Indian culture so much, then it should also impose a ban on Geo which shows a music programme conducted by an Indian presenter and in which Indian songs are sung as well as programmes on ARY which also shows Indian songs. By the same logic, a ban should also be imposed on BBC because India purchases two hours on the channel every day and shows its programmes," he said.PEMRA had appealed to the PCOA to desist from the strike move contending that the ban on the Indian channels was necessary to help the Pakistan Government and private channels to stabilise themselves. But the cable operators feel it will only help improve the native channels, as there will be a healthy competition.

Arguing that there is a huge demand for Indian channels, the Chairman of the Punjab chapter of PCOA, Malik Furgan Ghias, and the Marketing Manager of World Call Cable said the need must be met because these were purely entertainment channels not engaged in any kind of propaganda.on Indian channels.

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