Pemra raids cable operators’ offices

GILGIT:

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) raided the offices of local cable operators in Gilgit accused of promoting foreign agendas in the region and confiscated equipment from them.

Sources said that PEMRA officials also impounded other devises from the offices in Gilgit and Ghizer districts after they made surprise visits to these areas.

“We had warned them in writing more than three times in the past not to run banned channels but they opted to ignore us,” said a PEMRA official in Gilgit. He said that they had recieved complaints from the general public against the cable operators in Gilgit for running ‘unethical’ channels that had been banned by PEMRA. “What they had been doing was nothing but propagation of foreign agenda in the region,” he said.

A team headed by the PEMRA general manager had visited Gilgit and other areas before mounting the raid, which has led to an angry reaction from other cable operators . A group of cable operators protested in front of the Gilgit-Baltistan Legeslative Assembly, asking the chief minister for justice. Independent lawmaker Raziuddin met with the delegation of cable operators and assured them of help in resolving their issues.





Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2011.