We reported earlier that a ban had been placed on popular Urdu-language programming from India being shown on Pakistani cable.
Now, with the border dispute with India still festering, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has entered the fray. Chairman Mian Javed claims that there might be some exceptions but that the majority of people in Pakistan support a ban on display of Indian television channels through cable networks.
The authority has finalised a list of television channels for distribution through the cable system. Those channels that are not part of the eligible list are banned in Pakistan, said Mr Javed. The grounds for banning appear to be copyright and cultural issues, a code of ethics, and public needs. Indian entertainment, said Mr Javed, is much more liberal and according to Pakistani views creates cultural distortions.