rediff.com
rediff.com
News
      HOME | NEWS | PTI | REPORT
Saturday
August 10, 2002
1905 IST

NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
SOUTH ASIA
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES
SEARCH REDIFF








 Click for confirmed
 seats to India!



 Is your Company
 registered?



 Spaced Out ?
 Click Here!



 Secrets every
 mother should
 know


 Search the Internet
         Tips

E-Mail this report to a friend
Print this page Best Printed on HP Laserjets


Pak cable operators arrested for broadcasting Indian channels

In a major crackdown against banned Indian satellite channels and those allegedly showing 'vulgar movies', Pakistan authorities have arrested several cable operators in the southern port city of Karachi.

Police also seized dozens of satellite receivers, VCRs, VCD players and television sets in raids in many localities of Karachi on Saturday.

The ban on Indian television channels was imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in December 2001 at the height of Indo-Pak military tensions.

Though Star television's bouquet of channels was exempted, Star News continues to be in the banned list.

"We are arresting only those cable operators who are airing Indian movies and banned Indian channels illegally," local police chief Preedy Aijaz Hashmi told The News daily.

He said the violators would be punished under PEMRA laws. The punishment could be two years in prison or a Rs one million fine.

The ban on Indian channels, hugely popular in Pakistan, has continued though India had lifted its earlier ban on PTV, Pakistan's national channel.

Officials in PERMA, a body created by the Musharraf government to work out new policy guidelines for the television channels say the ban should continue in order to encourage new private channels like Indus Television and ARY Television being run by expatriate Pakistanis from Dubai and London.

PTV too has modernised its programme structure.

Some more Pakistani channels are expected to become operational on August 14, Pakistan's independence day.

More reports on Pakistan

Back to top
(c) Copyright 2002 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

Tell us what you think of this report

ADVERTISEMENT      
NEWS | MONEY | SPORTS | MOVIES | CHAT | CRICKET | SEARCH
ASTROLOGY | CONTESTS | E-CARDS | NEWSLINKS | ROMANCE | WOMEN
SHOPPING | BOOKS | MUSIC | PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL| MESSENGER | FEEDBACK