LAHORE: The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) with assistance from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and customs department conducted a crackdown against illegal Indian Direct-to-home television (DTH) in various parts of Punjab as per Supreme Court (SC) orders.
On Saturday, the Supreme Court reinstated a ban on the transmission of Indian content on local television channels, setting aside an earlier verdict by the Lahore High Court (LHC).
“The crack down was conducted in Lahore, Kasur, Okara, Shiekhupura, Pakpattan and Sahiwal,” read a press release issued by PEMRA.
In Lahore, a crackdown was conducted in major markets with more than 300 illegal dishes and receivers seized by the FIA.
Furthermore, five people were arrested over the matter with FIRs registered against them.
The president of Sheikhupura electronics market informed PEMRA that the illegal equipment is no longer being sold.
On Saturday, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar was hearing a case filed by the United Producers Association pertaining to the broadcast of foreign content on Pakistani television channels in the SC Karachi Registry.
“They are trying to [obstruct the construction] of our dam and we cannot even ban their channels?” the top judge fumed as he ordered the broadcast of Indian shows to be “shut down” before adding that the authorities should “only air appropriate content”.
In 2016, PEMRA had imposed a complete ban on airing Indian content on local television and FM radio channels.
The decision was largely seen as a tit-for-tat move after similar actions were taken by some channels and the entertainment industry in India against Pakistani content and artists.
In 2017, the LHC had lifted the PEMRA-imposed ban, declaring it null and void as the federal government had no objections regarding the same.
