Pemra puts blanket ban on Indian content

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The Pakistan Electronic Media Authority (Pemra) has imposed a complete ban on the broadcast of Indian content in the country.

On Wednesday, Pemra chairman directed all the television and even radio channels to follow the new code of conduct to avoid facing repurcussions.

“The ban will come into effect at 3pm on October 21. Licences of TV channels and radio stations that go against the ban will be cancelled without any show-cause notice,” said the statement issued by the regulatory body.

“Pemra, with the authority vested by the federal government, today announces the cancellation of the one-sided rights given to India by the Pervez Musharraf government,” said the Pemra statement.

The authority had earlier applied for a ban in response to the banning of Pakistani content by many Indian channels, if not the Indian government itself.

To this effect, he said that a summary had already been sent to the federal government in which the authority had clearly recommended that the transmission of Indian content should resume only after the Indians allow the same for Pakistani content in India.

Earlier in October, Pemra granted Absar Alam the authority to revoke or suspend licences of companies airing Indian content without providing prior notice.

On Aug 31, Pemra had announced that strict action would be taken against the channels airing foreign content more than the prescribed limit and traders selling illegal DTH sets.