Islamabad, Aug 17 :
Pakistan, which continues to ban Indian television channels, has permitted local private channels to air six per cent Indian content in their programmes during daily transmissions.
The local channels were allowed to air six per cent Indian content and four per cent English content, Minister in charge of the Cabinet Division, Major (Retd) Zulfiqar Ali Gondal, told the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, yesterday.
The permission was granted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on "a reciprocal basis," he said.
The channels which have been allowed to telecast foreign content are GEO News, GEO Entertainment, ARY One, ARY Digital, Indus Plus, Indus Vision, Hum, DM Digital, Rung TV, Dhoom, TV One, Aaj, TV 2Day and N-Vibe, the minister said.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had allowed 10 per cent foreign content, including Indian programmes, on Pakistani TV channels in its 36th meeting that took place here on February 25.
On behalf of PEMRA, the minister said necessary action would be initiated to include 20 per cent Pakistani content on multi-national channels.
"The break up of 10 per cent is that 40 per cent of the 10 per cent (that comes to four per cent) may be English content and 60 per cent of the 10 per cent (six per cent) may be Indian or other content," he was quoted as saying by 'The Post'.
All Indian channels are banned in Pakistan. In several parts of Pakistan, cable operators continue to flout the ban and air popular Indian channels to get more subscribers. |
