The chief of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has directed a Balochi-language television and all cable operators in Balochistan to make sure that no Indian content is aired.
PEMRA chief Saleem Baig issued the instructions on Friday while he was on a visit to PEMRA’s Quetta office.
Saleem Baig met with a group of cable operators, representatives of satellite TV channels and officials of the Wash TV network. The PEMRA chief has also warned of strict action against operators who would violate this order.
The move comes amid the recent rise in tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan had degraded diplomatic ties with India following the latter’s repressive actions in Kashmir. The ban on Indian content is not unprecedented, as such bans have been imposed before, with cable operators not fully implementing them.
Moreover, such bans have increasingly become ineffective considering the proliferation of online media. Users who want to view banned content can easily do so by accessing the online versions of those TV channels. In the age of the internet, such bans are seemingly useless and only serve the purpose of expressing protest.
PEMRA chief Saleem Baig issued the instructions on Friday while he was on a visit to PEMRA’s Quetta office.
Saleem Baig met with a group of cable operators, representatives of satellite TV channels and officials of the Wash TV network. The PEMRA chief has also warned of strict action against operators who would violate this order.
Meanwhile, the cable operators informed media that they had made a commitment to the boycott of Indian content and had taken measures to ensure that anti-Pakistan content is not aired on television channels.
The move comes amid the recent rise in tensions between India and Pakistan. Pakistan had degraded diplomatic ties with India following the latter’s repressive actions in Kashmir. The ban on Indian content is not unprecedented, as such bans have been imposed before, with cable operators not fully implementing them.
Moreover, such bans have increasingly become ineffective considering the proliferation of online media. Users who want to view banned content can easily do so by accessing the online versions of those TV channels. In the age of the internet, such bans are seemingly useless and only serve the purpose of expressing protest.