Pakistan launches crackdown

Pakistan government has launched a crackdown on sale of Indian movies and banned airing of advertisements for India-made products on television channels in the wake of tensions over the situation in Kashmir.

"We have banned Indian advertisements and launched a crackdown on CD shops to confiscate Indian movies," said Firdous Ashiq Awan, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information.

Talking to Dawn on Thursday, she said the interior ministry had already started a crackdown on Indian movies in the federal capital and it would be expanded to other parts of the country soon in collaboration with the provincial governments. "Today the interior ministry raided some compact disc shops in Islamabad and confiscated Indian movies."

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has prohibited airing of advertisements for India-made products on television and radio networks.

In a letter circulated to all its television and radio licencees on Wednesday, the authority recalled that it had withdrawn permission for airing Indian channels and content on the Supreme Court's directive in October last year.

Pemra said airing of  advertisements produced in India, and carrying Indian celebrities, on Pakistani media was tantamount to "negating the state policy".

According to Pemra, it had now decided to ban the broadcast of all advertisements featuring Indian products or personalities.