Senators seek ban on indian channels

[LRE]

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Monday asked the government to immediately ban indian channels being telecast by the cable operators across the country.

The committee, which met here with Senator Liaquat Ali Bangulzai in the chair was of the view that the cable operators were freely screening Indian films and dramas and it again recommends ban on the Indian channels unless easing of ban on Pakistani channels by the other side.

The meeting, held here to discuss the issues of Press Information Department (PID), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) and Pakistan Television (PTV) was attended by Senators Tariq Azim Khan, Mohammad Ali Durrani, Haji Adeel, Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, SM Zaffar, Javed Leghari, Secretary Information and Broadcasting, Ashfaq Ahmed Gondal, Principal Information Officer (PIO), Shabbir Anwar, PEMRA Chairman Mushtaq Malik, PTV Managing Director Arshad Khan,

senior officers of Ministry as well as the organizations.

Senator Durrani was of the view that besides Indian entertainment channels, cable operators were also screening Indian movies, which should be stopped immediately.

Haji Adeel, however, slightly differed with the other members, saying in the modern age free flow of information is necessary as the ban on Indian news channels could deprive us knowing what actually they were propagating against Pakistan.

Chairman PEMRA informed the meeting that PEMRA believes in complete freedom of expression; therefore, prefers the self regulation and monitoring of the code of programmes and advertisements by its broadcast/distribution licensees.

He said PEMRA has established a comprehensive Monitoring Cell at Islamabad with the main objective to monitor the content of broadcast media and satellite TV channels round the clock. Daily monitoring report is being generated to ensure the compliance of the code of conduct by the Satellite TV Licence holders. He said PEMRA has arranged mobile jammer equipment to stop unauthorized broadcast of FM radio in Swat. These equipment, he said would be handed over to security agencies soon.

Secretary Information Ashfaq Gondal informed the meeting that PTV Board has regularized services of 723 contract employees of the channel.

He said in order to synergizing the resources of News and Current Affairs as well as better coordination between the two divisions, a senior professional having diversified experience of both the divisions has been posted and no additional position has been created.

MD PTV Arshad Khan said the organization intends to use its TV Centres at Lahore, Peshawar, Karachi and Quetta as the Master Centres for its proposed Regional Language Channels.

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