Won’t allow any channel to air Indian content: CJP

PEMRA counsel says foreign content had been banned on top court's directives

ISLAMABAD:

Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar on Wednesday said that the Supreme Court will not allow any TV channel to air Indian content that can tarnish the social fabric of the country.

The remarks were passed during hearing of a case pertaining to airing foreign content on private TV channels. Chief Justice Nisar headed the three-member bench.

Proceedings were held on the appeal of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory (Pemra) against the Lahore High Court order.

Pemra's counsel, presenting his argument in the court, said the foreign content had been banned in compliance with the court’s directives before the LHC issued a stay order.



Ali Zafar, the counsel of a private TV channel, contended that his client’s channel was an entertainment channel and not promoting any agenda.

Upon this, Justice Nisar remarked that the court cannot allow the channels to air the Indian content and to destroy the local culture.

The court later adjourned the hearing till the first week of February.

Earlier, the Supreme Court on October 27, 2018 had imposed a ban on airing of Indian content on Pakistani television channels.

A three-member bench of the top court, headed by the chief justice, imposed the restriction during a hearing at the Supreme Court’s Karachi registry.

During the hearing, the top judge also suspended an earlier high court decision of screening foreign content.



CJP Nisar said, “Indian content must be banned as they are shutting down our dams. Should we not ban their channels?"

In 2017, the Lahore High Court, noting that “the world has become a global village”, lifted the ban on airing of Indian drama serials imposed by the broadcast media watchdog a year earlier.

Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah had passed the order after hearing arguments on a petition filed by a local media company praying that the Pemra prohibition be set aside.