PTV News Added to List of Channels Banned in Kashmir

Text of report by independent Indian daily The Asian Age website on 8 May

Srinagar, 7 May: The Srinagar district magistrate has extended the ban on beaming of Pakistani television channels through cable TV to the state-run PTV News as well.

The cable operators here, who were earlier asked to stop airing four Pakistani channels, namely PTV World, Geo, Aaj and ARY, were on Tuesday [6 May] asked by Srinagar district magistrate Sheikh Aijaz Iqbal that PTV News too should be blacked out with immediate effect.

“Since the earlier order issued on 21 April mentioned only four Pakistani channels we continued to show PTV News,” said Mr Irfan Bakshi, who holds rights of cable TV network in the Kashmir Valley.

Kashmir cable TV operators had, in protest against the earlier order, blacked out all Indian and international channels for two days but resumed their beaming in the belief that their subscribers were being denied access to the only source of entertainment available in the Valley, which is cable television.

Mr Irfan had, however, admitted to the fact that cable operators were swamped by telephone calls from their subscribers who were upset, particularly because they could not watch Indian Premier League Twenty20 matches on television asking them to resume operations.

A cable operator here said, “We were optimistic about the ban being lifted soon and a recent statement by Union Water Resources Minister Saifuddin Soz that there was no ban as such on airing of Pakistani channels had only reinforced our hope but district magistrate Srinagar Sheikh Aijaz Iqbal on Tuesday issued a fresh order adding PTV News to the list of banned Pakistani channels.”

Originally published by The Asian Age website, Delhi, in English 8 May 08.

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