The Senate was told on Wednesday that Supreme Court had given no verdict banning license of Indian satellite TV channels, and no one had obtained license of Indian channels so far. The minister for information and broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira proposed a debate in the parliament to decide what type of content should be shown on TV channels, adding there are many things that the channels air are in conflict with local culture and norms.
He was responding during the question hour to a question by PML-N Senator Nuzhat Sadiq, who asked whether it was a fact that Indian TV channels were banned in Pakistan by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
The senator was unhappy the kind of content being aired by the private television channels and complained that what the government was doing in this connection, as they considered television as family member but its content was no more decent. On this the minister conceded that they also had concern over the TV content but he noted that Pemra took notice of objectionable content but it was not equipped with enough ability to monitor all channels. He also noted that it should also be seen whether or not the local folklores and heritage could be telecast vis-à-vis Islamic teachings.
He said it was not possible to apply censorship at least on television, as the Ministry of Information did not have the ability. About obscenity, he said that it took the US court 30 long years to define what was obscenity and noted the Supreme Court so far had not defined it.
The minister said that he, being a man from rural background, might dislike some show on television, which might be all-right for a person living in Karachi. However, he noted that though the government was about to complete its term, it could serve as guidelines for the next government if a debate was held on this count.
On its own, he said Pemra could monitor 50 channels while presently 80 channels were on air in Pakistan. He said after laying optic fiber, the authority might be able to monitor all these channels. MQM Senator Tahir Husain Mashhadi, who had earlier filed a calling attention notice, rose to ask was it a fact that a channel 'Urdu TV' was given license to show an alien culture and nudity in its programmes such as love affairs and marriages.
Kaira was again on his feet to note that were the stories of Laila Majnu, Heer Ranjha and Sassi Punnu Islamic ones and why being shown on local channels and from where this bhangra dance came and said there were people, who did not consider it proper. He made it clear that the very cannel was not given any license but could be given landing rights and when they aired some objectionable content, a notice was served on them for cancellation of the landing rights. The TV management approached the Supreme Court and the matter was now in the court. "Whatever decision is announced, will be complied with," the minister said.
Leave aside dramas, pointed out ANP Muhammad Zahid Khan, a few days back, the state-run Pakistan Television, which is run with the public money, telecast live a public meeting of Dr Tahirul Qadri, whereas no private channels did so. On this, senators, including PPP's Raza Rabbani chanted 'shame, shame'. Zahid said now Qadri had left for Canada, would the minister tell the House how much money was paid by him to PTV for telecasting his meeting.
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