Pakistan

PEMRA seeks ministry’s help in enforcing Indian DTH ban

Says 12 companies shortlisted to participate in bidding for Pakistani DTH service

Sehrish Wasif November 15, 2016

Pemra chairman Absar Alam. PHOTO: INP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog has said it intends to enlist the defence ministry’s help in getting residents in cantonment areas and army-run housing societies to give up use of illegal Indian DTH service.

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority will soon fire off a letter to the ministry on the subject. Its chairman Absar Alam says people living in cantonments, defence housing authority (DHA) and posh areas such Karachi’s Clifton, Lahore’s Gulberg and Islamabad’s F -E sectors are still using the illegal DTH service.

“For imposing a ban on use of the DTH, Pemra will seek the defence minister’s support to discourage its use in these areas,” Alam said, adding that Pemra officials could not go inside cantonment areas or army-run societies as they have their own by-laws.

“Through the defence minister, we could appeal to the heads of these areas to kindly encourage residents of these societies to voluntarily stop watching Indian content and support their nation,” he said.

He claimed the money paid for availing illegal Indian DTH service was going to India and helping to boost its economy. They should consider sensitivity of this issue and stop watching Indian content, he said.

“Given the ongoing tensions between the two nuclear armed nations and India’s cross-border firing which has claimed many innocent lives, Pemra has decided to impose a complete ban on airing Indian content,” he said Alam. “The ban will continue until India lifts a ban on airing Pakistani content.”

Pemra, according to Alam, is all set to introduce Pakistani DTH service to replace the illegal Indian DTH service. “It will help to promote the Pakistani media industry, generate revenue to boost economy and strengthen patriotic spirit among people,” he said.

Alam said out 12 companies have been shortlisted to participate in the bidding of DTH service licences which is going to be held on November 23.

“Three of these companies will be issued licenses for starting Pakistani DTH service and after security clearance they will start the process,” he said.

Alam said there was a certain lobby that had vested interest and which was trying its best to cause a delay in introducing Pakistani DTH in order to allow Indian DTH. He further appealed to the advertisement industry to take notice of those ads in which Indian actors are used.

“They should also consider banning Pakistani actors and actresses working in India,” he suggested. On the occasion, Alam announced that FM radio license will be issued to the National Press Club.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 15^th, 2016.

COMMENTS (2)

Tariq | 8 years ago | Reply Please let people have the right to choose. How can PEMRA dictates or influence what to watch and what no. He is also talking about stopping actors to work in India. Have you given you actors what India is offering. Please God sake stop treating people of this country like kids. Even kids todays demands some freedom. It looks like we are moving back to pure dictatorship and this time it is coming from the person who use to work in media and from so called democratic government. Please gentle wake up before that country go back to PTV times, where TV use to stay mum on whatever was happening around you. Any one remember Aligarh Colony Orangi massacres. And TV was silent. For days there was curfew and only few lines were narrated on media was the violence. My suggestion to ban PEMRA. There is no utility. World is changing. We all can watch Indian or any other channel on net these days. Where is landing fee or anything else? People with smart TV now can easily hook to these channels. Cable or DTH are now becoming obsolete. .

Gunner | 8 years ago | Reply Bring us sports (especially football leagues) and international knowledge channels (like discovery, history, and national geographic) in HD and we will give up external DTH services on our own. The state of PEMRA is that they have blocked sports and other channels themselves leaving citizens with no option but to go for external DTH service. We shall see what Pakistani DTH will offer, probably he same geo and local news channels?

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