Supreme Court of Pakistan has reinstated the ban over the broadcast of Indian shows on Pakistani TV channels, overturning the Lahore High Court’s (LHC) earlier decision.
“They are trying to (obstruct the construction) of our dam and we cannot even ban their channels?” said Chief Justice Saqib Nisar. Chief Justice also added that the Pakistani broadcasters must only air “appropriate content”.
The decision came into effect after the United Producers Association filed an appeal against the airing of Indian Television Shows in Pakistan. The United Producers Association had reached Supreme Court against the Lahore High Court’s decision to lift the ban imposed by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in 2017.
The Lahore High Court decision had allowed the cable operators to air 10% of foreign content, putting up a limit of 1 hour 40 minutes on Indian shows. However, the lifting of the ban did not allow the airing of teleplays or Indian movies. The central government had registered no objection over the airing of Indian television content in the country. Hearing to the plea, Lahore High Court focused on the censorship over the anti-Pakistan content on air but did not endorse the complete ban. “The world has become a global village,” Lahore High Court Justice Mansoor Ali Shah had commented on the unreasonable impositions on-air content.
With the nod of Pakistan Government, PEMRA in 2016 had imposed the ban on Indian television content. It was in the response of the crackdown by Indian Forces on the terrorists in Kashmir valley after the Uri attack.