LAHORE: Pakistan said Wednesday it was looking at summoning the BBC to demand an explanation over a documentary about the Taliban that has left the BBC World News channel blocked nationwide.
Cable operators pulled the channel late Tuesday amid anger over NATO air strikes that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
Khalid Arain, chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, confirmed that BBC World News was off-air nationwide and that other Western news channels had been ordered "not to indulge in anti-Pakistan propaganda".
The row relates to a two-part BBC documentary, "Secret Pakistan," which questions Pakistan's commitment to tackling Taliban militancy.
The BBC said it was deeply concerned by the move, and called for its channel to be speedily reinstated.
Media regulator, PEMRA, said: "Definitely, since an issue has been highlighted, the authorities will review the contents of the broadcast and their programmes."
"The authorities can summon BBC representatives and seek an explanation from them," PEMRA spokesman Tahir Izhar told AFP.
Arain said Pakistan was not legally bound to show any foreign channels and was also monitoring Britain's Sky News for "any objectionable content."
Pakistan has aroused increasing criticism overseas and from human rights campaigners within the country over censorship. The row over the BBC saw people post links to the documentary on their Facebook and Twitter accounts.
"It is clear violation of our basic right to information. I condemn it," said Shujauddin Qureshi, a human rights activist.
Saad Haroon wrote on Twitter, "They have taken BBC off the air in Pakistan, great, now we will be the LAST to know when they bomb us."
Last week, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority was forced to row back from banning text messages containing any of nearly 1,700 "obscene" words, many of which were seemingly innocuous, following outrage from users and campaigners.
COMMENTS (85)
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Come on BBC. Who watches you ? We like to watch news from JuD and LeT. Hamid Zaid is our basic and sole source of information. Our history text books and madrassa teachings are of universal class. Our imaginations are far better than yours. Who needs the fact you provide. Let us live in our well and you enjoy rest of the world. By the way I tried to direct my antena in all directions and also tried pointing it upside down still can't get any television signal. Oh wait, now the picture is clear.... I see all static..... this is my fav channel and I can enjoy watching static all day. Who wants your news ? Go Away!!!
Half of you who commented on my earlier post didn't get it right!!!
What I said is 'do not watch' not 'ban those channels' ... if you don't watch them (despite they are being aired) means that you do not give these channels any value since you don't trust them. Banning anything won't solve it.
Welcome to stone age. Ignorance is a blessing. Taking objectionable material off air is not gonna make it disappear. Its still available on youtube etc.
Blocking BBC is stupid. About 15% of Pakistanis watch BBC and out of these 15%, 10% believe in the textbook stories of Pakistan army's bravery. So perhaps only 5% of pakistanis take programs like secret Pakistan seriously. On the other hand this does not mean BBC will not air this documentary in other parts of the world. Which means that even if we stop our masses from watching this the rest of the world will watch it and know what is happening in Pakistan. Plus it is also available all over the web.
This only will increase extremism in Pakistan. This will shut the eyes of the truth and make Pakistanis ignorant.
BBC doesn't come and says a community is worthy of being killed, like some channels in Pakistan do. Yet, it is the BBC which is blocked, not the ones who preach hatred.
Just because a piece of news insults you doesn't mean its not true. Have you considered the fact that BBC is indeed true and its Pakistani Media, tightly influenced by its Army who spread propaganda?
Didn't the Pakistani media tell you that Pakistan was winning the war in 1971 when infact it didnt? Didn't the same media tell that OBL is not in Pakistan, but the Western one kept on repeating it? Didn't the Pakistani media tell its viewers that 1999 Kargil war was not initiated by the Pakistani Army?
Face it, BBC is the most impartial media organization in the World. If it is saying something again and again, then it most probably is true.
@UKpakistani: After reading what you wrote, you should drop the word Pakistani from your name and maybe change it to something else maybe.............I don't know. Something silly.
@Gestapo: Your broadcasters are taking you back to the stone age without US bonbing you.
@UKpakistani: you are a traitor to your country.
Censorship of media is wrong. I don't deny what BBC and other western media is showing is right, but in all fairness our media doesn't depict the right image of Pakistan anyways. All you have to do is switch on Geo or other pakistani news channels and you can see our media outlets showing anti-pakistan news. The more professional and unchildish thing would be is to counter by actually creating content and documentaries to prove them wrong. If they are showing something negative about pakistan, show something positive. Banning them isn't hurting them in any way, its just embarrassing us. Proving them wrong is more effective.
@Surreallist: After Saleem Shahzad and Salman Taseer - do you expect someone to disclose his identity
@Ali: Good point. Hey proponents of "free speech" answer Ali, if you can.
The pakistani people are told by the power that rules Pakistan (definitely not zardari) what and what not to watch since in their eyes, their people are not grown up enough to decide whether this kind of documentary has it's facts straight or not.
Let BBC be banned to make awam feel better. Status quo always returns in Pakistan and BBC will be back on air in few months.
So what exactly is incorrect in this documentary? The fact that this documentary shows Pakistan as a duplicitous country doesn't mean the documentary isn't accurate or the BBC is being mean spirited. If you disagree with the content of the program I am sure the BBC will be than happy to present your rebuttal - that's what they do in countries with free speech.
Banning PressTV in the UK is ok and banning BBC in Pakistan is not. Arrogance at its best. But remember arrogance ensures a fall.
No matter how objectionable the content, Cable operators have no right to block a channel just because they think it is offensive. Cable operators are not public representative so they have no right to take any action on public behalf. The government should take action against this cable operators union.
Who needs access to information from global channels when we have ISPR and PTV? With every passing day, Pakistan drifts further and further into tyranny.
Do people still watch BBC news? Its a crappy channel,full of racism.
@Naeem Malik: You can't justify one wrong with another. That's why should act on my earlier advice. Please?
@SaudiRules: Hey bro: what about Saudi channels?? They say cover your stumps before you aim for a sixer. Advice you should act on. Haha.
@Fundyar: Bro "preach bombing"!!!??! I think thats the reason why they should ban propaganda ... as i said earlier fine line between freedom of speech and freedom to spread lies ... yessss we support the ban of western propaganda !!! enough is enough ... the taliban were an asset to Pakistan ... there was more security under their rule then there ever was in the past century in Afghanistan and that security also helped pakistan ... the isi didnt just spend tonnes of resources on them for no reason ... I think the ISI knows better why they are an important asset to us ... as far as bombing people goes ... well isnt that why we want USA out ... i mean their operatives arent going around vacationing on the sunny streets of Pakistan now are they .... or put it in urdu woh mithaiyan to nai bantne aye na ! i mean come on why would resource stripped taliban barely living on meager resources spend money blowing up people where they could actually blow up people that are shooting at them? Think about it ...
Sad day. I have been robbed of my freedom without my consent. We achieve just the opposite of what we plan if we ban a channel. More people are taking devious routes to see the documentary. And then everyone is entitled to his/her views. We must counter them with arguments as human beings should, being blessed with the faculty of reasoning. But then maybe the WOT has made us lose the human part in us and now only the animal remains. All said and done I think that the BBC has produced many documentaries on Islam and Pakistan that could be the envy of many. We could have recorded our protest in a more dignified manner.
@Ashamed: Of yourself?
AOA! As a patriotic second generation british-born pakistani I am deeply offended by the lies spread by BBC,CNN,GLobe & Mail of Canada and other news media. I wow to return to pakistan the Land of Pure and "nothing but the truth"! I shall never go back to UK,USA or Canada for travel,for earning money or for education. I also promise that i shall never send my children to study or immigrate through marriage to any of USA,UK and Canada. I shall visit,immigrate or have my children study in only countries that are friend with Pakistan, specially "all weather friend" china! I hope all of my pakistani brothers and sisters join me and pledge this oath.
Only "truthful" news and documentary channel is PTV. During Zia's rule PTV had the best news army can wish for!
Not a good move! Even if BBC shows all lies it's not proper to BAN them. If we can't ban people who preach bombing how can we ban just a news outlet
@John: Hey you live in a deluded world where people are killed in other parts of the world to give you a sense of unity and existence and superficial standard of life and of course propel your capitalist machine everywhere ... we have nothing to hide ... we just dont want your twisted lies to touch our ears ... we stand together on this ... we say we have had enough ... all us speak with the same tongue now
you mean movie by BBC@positive pakistani:
@Junaid Shah: How can you trust enemies' state funded channels (dying to broadcast in persian) that they would spare Iran for developing and having a peaceful life when the whole region is burning. For your info in June 2009, during CNN's coverage of the Iranian election protests, the network used several messages posted on Twitter and attributed them to unnamed "sources." A CNN spokesman later said it was a mistake. In January 2006, CNN mistranslated a live broadcast of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. In the translation, CNN quoted Ahmedinejad as saying "the use of nuclear weapons is Iran's right." According to a release from the Iranian government, the president said "Iran has the right to nuclear energy." and went on to say "a nation that has civilization does not need nuclear weapons and our nation does not need them." Wake up brothers, BBC, CNN, VOA etc cannot be your friends.
@Nirmit: Hey focus on your problems in India ... Pakistanis can handle allegations and propaganda and we solve our own problems ... we stand together as one nation ... things have changed ... btw whats with indians why do they need us to exist ...
yes ban everyone. they are all liars...only we speak the truth....lol
Why are you so scared of BBC.. If you have nothing to hide, then prove to the world that BBC is wrong.. This move only proves that what BBC showed was right indeed... Pakistan has started to dig its own grave...
@Naeem Malik: Can you imagine PTV or Al Jazira showing anti US documentary to the American public. Go buy some sanity.
@ee: Do you know what you are talking about? Look in a decent dictionary. There is no word halucaust! Maybe watching BBC will teach you something.
@ Junaid Shah : Iran is better than Pakistan because they are independent of global hegemoney, they dont answer nobody. There people live a peaceful and comfortable life. I recommend you take a trip.
@BBC : We dont need BBC our own media is grown up and confident enough to broadcast. The Desi Liberals need to wake up because they are rapidly becoming FACISTS
Pakistan will summon BBC, and err they will turn up apologising????
Yes banning them is an option, but to what means - I dont know. Other news channels, newspapers and the biggest daddy of them all Internet is still available.
Please grow up! Use your own media and diplomacy to counter this. And to clarify this further I do not mean having shouting wars on talk shows.
BBC just reported what everyone knows. Pkaistan is a state sposorer of groups like LeT, JeM, Haqinni Taleban, Afghan Taleban etc. That is also referred to as 'state sponsorer' of terrorism as some of this groups are banned by UN as terrorist groups.
@Asif: Great. Pakistani solution of every problem. It is just like banning doubling on motorbike. Why not we think to improve the image of pakistan and pakistani army? there are problems within pakistan and pakistani army. If there were not problem then how come terrorist managed to attack GHQ and Miran base? for these attacks terrorist got help from inside. the "insider' who can help terrorist can help any one including usa and "enemies of islam". It is time to wake or i say time to wake up has long gone. now we are just waiting for the end of "....."
BBC, means Bharat Broad Casting Carporation.Good move by the patriotic people.Other chennels like Fox News,CNN should also be warned not to air negative news about Pakistan and its Army.
Pakistan's equation with terrorists is very well known in the region. BBC hasn't said anything that we didn't know already. Where this sympathy for terrorists will leave Pakistan in the few years is worth watching.
@Asif: If you figured out "BBC, CNN, VOA and FOX News: these channels are either state sponsored (BBC and VOA) or have political agendas" then we can figure this out too. STOP telling people what not to watch and what to watch just coz YOU say so.
Let people be the judge. Spread information, Dont dictate...
Normal Pakistanis never viewed BBC as anything more that a propaganda arm of some sort of a self feeding doctrine flowing out of Israel. "Black cap propaganda" -Far more dangerous wing of this outfit is the Urdu radio service, for which effective strategy must be developed. WorldCall did well to smite this viscous machine but we would like to have Iranian TV and Chinese TV as a substitute. That is the proper way to get even with these media moguls.
@Asif:
And Pakistani channels are not?
This all the more makes Pakistan look guilty. If there's really no truth to the BBC reports, a point-by-point rebuttal to the allegations is in order, rather than ridiculously taking BBC off the air. If the BBC reports constitute black propaganda against Pakistan that it deserves the banning of BBC, then other Western channels should be banned as well, along with some newspapers here in Pakistan that do not give a flattering depiction of the country. Better to be rational than too emotional.
It should not be blocked. I wana see whats going on in the world. I dont want people telling me this or that channel is bad for you so dont watch it. I wana make up my own mind. Ive got brains too. Freedom of choice.
Everyone is entitled to their own perspective, which is the first tenant of Free Speech. I love how Pakistani's are famous for creating conspiracy theories, but if the BBC wants to speculate then that is totally unacceptable. How dare a white person get the chance to do that.
The only good that has come of this entire affair is that we now get Al-Jazeera which is pretty freaking awesome!
Bottom line, stop crying about BBC's documentary team and ask them for an explanation, don't shut down their channel. They expose more corrupt people every day around the world than Pakistan could hope to tackle in a lifetime.
@Asad: Do explain how Iran is better than Pk?
I've seen the broadcast, It was dirty propaganda on us and at our agencies. Good move by the authorities. Its time to reevaluate our relationship with the world, specially at war on terror.
The world has grown into a bluffing game.
Imagine, when Richard was sick, Salah-ud-Din sent his personal Physician; when Richard broke his sword, Salah-ud-Din gave him his own sword, to fight from front.
Now, the wars are fought covertly & propaganda, using cyber & media for maligning the minds of commoners.
Not to worry, as the winner will ultimately be the righteous ones; BUT
We need to be RIGHTEOUS & HONEST & FAITHFUL to our Faith, and then
"Indeed, the friends of Allah need not to worry".
Close all International and local media.They are all liars. PTV and ISPR is good.
Very good...bbc promoted western govt lies when it suits them (iraq ,Gaddafi)
and starts massive conspiracy theories when it does not
it should be illegal to work for BBC
It was proven during the Iraq war that the media can, instead of highlighting the ground realities, be taking sides with the establishments in their respective countries.
The "freedom" and "objectivity" of media is a big question mark, be it in Pakistan or abroad.
I am confident that the ban is quite unlikely to have a very huge impact, because majority of those who would care to watch BBC can also access internet and share/watch the stuff on-line.
The cable operators should not act as regulators. They are none to determine what comes on the air and what goes off. There are competent constitutional institutions that can look into the matter.
Who by the way is interested in watching BBC that so called human right activists are so hurt with this move...
Ohh well cable operators and their audience love right wing propaganda channels, who only promote extremism, intolerance and irrational logics....that’s really shame.
Did anyone watch “Secreate Pakistan” before labelling it as propaganda? BBC only exposed open secrete in this documentary.
No doubt Pakistan is further drifted toward dark ages and other victory for extremists and their sympathisers :- (
Govt should take solid stand against it.
Inshallah god will help us but govt should stand strictly against them and prepare well if they are summoning them so next time they shouldn't dare to play such kind of documentary.
I did not agree with BBC's documentary - which I thought was one-sided.
HOWEVER
Freedom of media is important and cable operators should not ban the BBC. We are a proud and intelligent nation and we can distinguish good news from bad news.
Pakistani cable operators have no right to ban news channels and take away my choice. If I do not want to watch the BBC I will not turn on that channel.
I agree with Mansour here.. I guess before taking any such step we should have watched the consequences of that documentary over public. Before public decide any think we impose what is not to be imposed by the public....
Any how... such documentaries cannot disgrace Pakistan's image as we are far away from what they are trying to learn world about us....!!!
Not many people watch BBC or CNN because many people feel they are very Bias and propagate false about issues, specially in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The Programme shown on secret Pakistan is full of hate and very Bias towards Pakistani people. If a person sat at home he may feel we must Nuclear bomb Pakistan, that's how the audience see and feel. not very good for BBC or for the World. Brainwashing the public. why won't BBC concentrate on their own affairs and IRA and BNP.
wonderful decision . i have seen that documentary full of hate
Well.. its a free country... sovereign country... it reserves the right to ban what it feels like. If I recall correctly...halucaust denial is banned in EU? right? hmmm... I wonder why don't they allow freedom of expression!
Good move! This documentary gives only part / one sided story! They don't even mention once that we are taking the hit also by Taliban attacks on police, army, mosques etc. What about that human and capital cost?
Comparing this ban the sms filtering ? What a crappy article!
Brave move..I appreciate the instance and it should be banned until they appologize for the content.
I know our liberals will have pain in their rear but this is how it should be like. Tit for tat.
I saw this documentary and it is totally one-sided, very biased. Majority of the witnesses in the documentary are 'undisclosed' and stating completely unvalidated statements against Pakistan. I was quite astonished at the 'professionalism' of BBC to showcase that documentary.
What about FOX NEWS & CNN??/ They also show equally damaging documentaries!!!????
How can the cable operators speak on the behalf of the public? If this is the logic they give, then they might as well shut down the internet as the video is all over the web. This kind of selective ban defeats the purpose. Why can't they think rationally, and counteract the said video. At the end of the day, it is the Pakistanis who are hurt and BBC will not really be affected if it's blocked in Pakistan.
Good. . .!!!
So thats an independent move by the cable operators and not by the government.
Brave move.
I remember they blocked all the channels and media who were against there wit and will. Now I will see our so called liberals react here in Pakistan
and sadly
Nations who have divisions inside do not win any wars. I iwsh these so called liberals were real liberals and not fascists.
Every Tom ,Dick and Harry has made this country a punching bag. We definately want a 'tit for tat policy". Its a great move
BBC = BPC. (British Propaganda Corporation) But we really love our ex-master's BPC.