Pemra to launch crackdown against TV channels, cables promoting Indian culture

Federal Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan on Thursday announced that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) would undertake massive crackdown against those cables operators and TV channels promoting Indian culture and working against the interests of the country.
"Such channels have been given one month's time and if they fail to comply with the directives, PEMRA will crackdown against them," the minister told the media after the meeting of National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting at PEMRA headquarters.
She said all the stakeholders would be taken on board on the issue and their recommendations would be presented before the Cabinet for final approval and sought the support of people for government's efforts to protect and promote country's socio-religious culture.
She stressed upon the electronic media to promote the country's social and religions values, adding that the government was also planning to introduce digitalisation policy to improve the quality of channels. The minister said the committee has recommended that private TV channels should be asked to ensure payment of salaries to their staff. The committee, she pointed out, noted that print media has a mechanism to rebut false news items, whereas TV channels lack the mechanism. It has also recommended that all the private TV channels should keep national interests supreme.
She said the government fully believes in the independence of media and freedom of speech. The minister rejected the perception that there was any kind of confrontation among the institutions, saying that every state organ is working within its constitutional domain,.To a query over Mansoor Ijaz, the minister said that the government would facilitate his arrival as he has been summoned by the Commission. However, she said that he had to answer the questions of people of Pakistan before the leaving the country.