Ban on Afghan TV channels hits cable operators in Peshawar

Local cable operators in Pakistan’s north-western city of Peshawar are rapidly losing their clientele due to restrictions by the Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on the screening of programmes of the Afghanistan-based satellite channels.

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“Dozens of local subscribers are switching over to dish antennas because of the non-availability of the Afghan Pashto channels in Peshawar,” said Mushtaq Khan, managing director of the National Cable TV, in Board area of Peshawar.

He said that it was becoming difficult for them to continue their business as majority of the people wanted Pashto music, dramas and political programmes aired by Afghan Pashto channels that were not available on the Pakistan-based TV channels.

The Supreme Court had placed ban on screening of the Indian TV channels in August last year after which the Pemra asked the cable operators to stop these programmes or face penalties.

Khan said that the court had banned showing about 32 Indian channels such as Star Plus, Sony, Zee TV, and Zee Cinema.

But, the Pemra also placed a ban on the Afghanistan-based Pashto channels that were popular among the Afghan refugees as well as the local population, he said.

“We have been receiving requests from the people to restart Afghan channels but we cannot do this due to the Pemra directives,” Wazir Shah, assistant manager of the Afghan TV Network in old city, told Dawn.

He claimed that the Pemra had allowed the Pakistan-based satellite channels to air the Indian movies, soap opera, talk shows and entertainment programmes on which no action was taken.