PEMRA with the support of All Pakistan Satellite Goods Association and Rawalpindi Traders Union torched illegal Indian DTH & C-Line Equipment at Imperial Market, Raja Bazaar, Rawalpindi today in solidarity with national cause. Chairman PEMRA, Muhammad Saleem Baig was the Chief Guest. Participants also chanted slogans against Indian DTH and in support of Pakistan and PEMRA.
While addressing the occasion, Chairman PEMRA appreciated the role of Traders Association, for their goodwill gesture in voluntarily discouraging menace of Illegal Indian DTH in Pakistan. Indian DTH is a potential threat to our social fabric and Pakistan’s indigenous DTH which is expected to enter the fray by November this year, he said. He urged that orders of the Hon’ble Supreme Court regarding banning Indian channels and Indian content should be implemented in letter and spirit so that local investment in DTH as well as social, cultural, religious and ethical values of Pakistan could be protected.
Chairman PEMRA warned that if any cable operator is found relaying Indian channel or Indian content will face severe action including cancellation of licences, seizures of equipment and filing of FIRs. According to an estimate, millions of illegal Indian DTH decoders of Dish TV, TATA SKY, Airtel, VideoCon, SunBig, Reliance etc. have been smuggled in Pakistan. This illegal activity hence, is also a major source of money laundering and is putting loss to national exchequer, said Chairman PEMRA. The chairman further informed that local DTH and digital medium would help in creating jobs for thousands of people besides injecting investment of billions of rupees in the country’s economy. During this occasion, Ashfaq Jumani, Executive Member, Muhammad Zahid Khokhar, Director General Custom Intelligence, Muhammad Farooq, Director General (Operations-Distribution), Sohail Asif, Director General (Operations-Broadcast), Mian Asif, Deputy General Manager, PEMRA, , Muhammad Yasin Butt & Ali Ahmad Malik, office bearers of All Pakistan Satellite Goods Association and Ghafoor Paracha President Rawalpindi Traders Association were also present.