Pakistan bans TV ads featuring Indian actors

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has prohibited the broadcast of advertisements produced in India or featuring Indian actors / characters, it emerged on Thursday.In a communiqué sent to all of its television and radio licensees dated August 14, the authority recalled that it withdrew the permission for airing Indian channels and content on the directions of the Supreme Court in October last year.However, it has been observed that advertisements of various products of multinationals which are either produced in India or carrying Indian characters/ talents being aired on electronic media, said the letter shared on Pemra’s official Twitter account.The letter noted that the government had announced to celebrate this year’s Independence Day as “Kashmir Solidarity Day” in the wake of escalation in tensions between the two countries over the Kashmir issue.However, the airing of advertisements produced in India and carrying Indian talent on Pakistani media at the same time was tantamount to negating the state policy, the authority said.It also observed that the appearance of Indian characters on Pakistani TV screens aggravates miseries of Pakistanis who are perturbed over Indian atrocities on Kashmiri brethren.In view of the above, Pemra banned the broadcast of all advertisements featuring Indian talent by invoking Section 27(a) of the Pemra Ordinance 2002.