Sensitising the masses: Shahbaz lauds role of cable operators

Committee members informed CM that politicians pressurise cable operators for their vested interests.

LAHORE:

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has lauded the role of cable operators in creating awareness among the masses on important issues.

He was talking to a delegation of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, headed by its chairman Khalid Arain and comprising Malik Furqan, Zubair Khalid, Tahir Javed, Sheikh Ijaz, and Niaz Sheikh, a statement said on Saturday.

The Punjab home secretary, IG, commissioner, DCO, CCPO and MPA Ramzan Bhatti were also present during the meeting.

The chief minister took serious note of the fact that as many as eight cable operators have been killed for not paying extortion. He constituted a committee, which includes IG Punjab Khawaja Imran Nazir, Khalid Arain and Malik Furqan.

Furqan informed the chief minister that politicians pressurise cable operators for their vested interests. He demanded that the appointment of police officers in the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) be stopped immediately.

Furqan said that an owner of a TV channel ordered cable operators to air banned channels. The TV channel owner had claimed that any Pemra official taking action against airing banned channels would get suspended. Furqan questioned if Pemra was an independent regulatory body or a subordinate to that particular TV channel owner.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 20^th, 2012.