Pakistan media can’t use Indian content from tomorrow

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) decided to ban airing of Indian content from October 21 at the request of the federal government, it said. 

“The ban will come into effect at 3 pm on October 21, and radio and television stations which violate the ban will have their licences suspended without a prior show cause notice,” PEMRA said in a statement. The ban extends to all Indian content on cable and radio being aired in Pakistan. The authority also decided to cancel one-sided rights given to Indian media by the government of former military dictator Pervez Musharraf in 2006. 

It is said that PEMRA had already decided to get tough with Indian contents after complaints that most of the local channels were using more than five per cent foreign contents as allowed by it. The regulator said that strict action would be taken against the channels violating the ban.