Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday served a final warning to all cable TV operators asking them to stop distributing illegal or proscribed TV channels. A PEMRA press release said no channel other than those licensed by PEMRA will be allowed to be distributed on cable TV networks and any operator found defying the orders will face serious consequences. If implemented, distribution networks will only be able to show PEMRA licensed channels, unlike now when most operaters run unauthorised foreign channels and leaving no space for licensed channels. PEMRA also issued a list of eligible channels containing 87 Pakistani origin channels and 26 foreign channels registered with the authority.
Cable operators have the liberty to choose channels amongst the eligible list according to subscriber choice but can show no other channel.
Cable operators are also bound to relay national broadcaster (PTV) channels, which are mandatory under PEMRA law. PEMRA enforcement teams have recently raided a number of cable TV operators across the country and impounded equipment being used to distribute illegal/ proscribed channels. PEMRA said it will continue these actions till “sanity creeps into electronic media.” It said that “PEMRA believes in freedom of information and choice but it must be coupled with social responsibility, ethics, and accepted standards of decency and morality.”
Offer cyber crime, anti-terrorism courses, Malik tells National Police Academy
Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Monday said there was a need to teach courses on cyber crime, anti-terrorism and money laundering to law enforcement personnel. Malik was chairing a meeting of the National Police Academy (NPA) Board of Governors. NPA Commandant set the meeting agenda. NPA provides training to ASPs and other law enforcement officials. MAlik directed the National Police Bureau to allocate 25 percent foreign courses to NPA officers. He assured Board Members he will ensure the pay package of NPA employees be implemented as approved by the Prime Minister. The meeting approved the Job Task Analysis of District Police Officer/District Superintendent of Police and decided to prepare curriculum on JTA findings.
The Board Chairman said that the proposed curriculum should include subjects like anti-terrorism and other modern day crimes. A Module on Interviewing women, children, victims of violence was approved. The Board recommended that the module should be translated into Urdu. The Board appreciated NPA’s efforts in formulating the National Training Policy 2012 and approved it in principle. The proposed re-organization of the MPA into different specialized sub-units was also approved.