Manish Tewari slams Pakistan for banning Indian films on TV
Information and Broadcast Minister Manish Tewari took to Twitter to express his take on Pakistan’s decision to stop airing Indian/foreign films on their TV channels.
|Last Updated: Dec 12, 2013, 10:07 AM IST|Source: Exclusive
New Delhi: Information and Broadcast Minister Manish Tewari took to Twitter to express his take on Pakistan’s decision to stop airing Indian/foreign films on their TV channels.
Tewari tweeted, “The jingoists should know film and TV serials are ideas and ideas can’t be barred/banned. Pak govt must remove them from negative list ASAP”.
A Pakistani court has stopped the screening of foreign films, serials and television shows, especially Indian content, on the country`s TV channels, triggering panic and outrage among exhibitors and viewers.
While staying the beaming of foreign content, Lahore High Court Justice Khalid Mahmood Khan yesterday ruled that Indian films and television serials were included in `Negative List` under the current bilateral trade regime.
He also directed the federal government and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to submit a detailed reply in this regard at the next hearing on December 12.
The order was issued in response to a petition filed last month by controversial TV talk show host Mubashir Lucman, a former film producer known for his anti-India stance. Lucman had contended that Indian films and TV serials were being imported in violation of Pakistani regulations.
He further claimed that under Pakistani rules, Indian movies that are shot completely in India and are sponsored by an Indian cannot be screened in the country.
Lucman`s counsel argued that the government had allowed the import and exhibition of Indian and other foreign films and serials through a Statutory Regulatory Order (SRO) issued in 2006.
"The impugned SRO is in clear violation of Pakistan`s import policy and the rules of PEMRA," the counsel claimed.
PEMRA fined televisions channels for violating regulations but this failed to stop them from airing foreign content, he said.
The judge remarked: "The Indian films and other material are included in the negative list which cannot be changed by issuing a SRO."
The `Negative List` contains items that cannot be traded between India and Pakistan.
Despite the court`s order, none of the Pakistani channels have stopped screening foreign content, including Indian and Turkish serials that are extremely popular in the country.
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.