PEMRA bans ads featuring Indian content, actors

ISLAMABAD: After slapping a ban on Bollywood content, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Thursday banned the broadcast of advertisements produced in India or featuring Indian actors and characters.

In a notification, the authority recalled that it withdrew the permission for airing Indian channels and content on the directions of the Supreme Court in October last year.

“However, it has been observed that advertisements of various products of multinationals which are either produced in India or carrying Indian characters/talents [are] being aired on electronic media,” said the regulatory authority.

It noted that the government had announced to celebrate this year’s Independence Day in solidarity with Kashmiris in the wake of escalation in tensions between the two countries over the Kashmir issue.

Prohibition of TVCs produced in India / carrying Indian talent pic.twitter.com/IOtZrqzcfi

— Report PEMRA (@reportpemra) August 14, 2019

However, the airing at the same time of advertisements produced in India and carrying Indian talent on Pakistani media was tantamount to “negating the state policy”, the authority said.

It also observed that the appearance of Indian characters on Pakistani TV screens “aggravates miseries of Pakistanis who are perturbed over Indian atrocities on Kashmiri brethren”.

In view of the above, Pemra banned the broadcast of all advertisements featuring Indian talent by invoking Section 27(a) of the Pemra Ordinance 2002. The products whose advertisements were particularly targeted by the authority include: Dettol soap, Surf Excel powder, Pantene shampoo, Head & Shoulders shampoo, Lifebuoy shampoo, Fogg body spray, Sunsilk shampoo, Knorr noodles, Sufi, Fair & Lovely face wash, and Safeguard soap.