Daily Times

Amid the height of tension between Pakistan and India, authorities in Islamabad have sprung into action against the sale of compact discs (CDs) of Indian movies and also imposed a ban on airing of advertisements projecting India-made products on television channels. Raids on CD shops must have reminded most Pakistanis of the Zia era, when the police would often raid video rental shops and seize the cassettes of Indian movies. Instead of promoting the local film production sector, the martial government of the 80s thought that by raiding VCR shops, it would eliminate Indian movies from Pakistan. It never happened and we gradually lost the cultural war. Recently, our TV drama and cinema have made a successful comeback and that is the riveting answer to Indian movies. Also, CDs are losing their importance due to the easy and cheap availability of content online.

Raids on CD shops would have earned worldwide appreciation had they been carried out to uproot the culture of piracy from Pakistan. The easy availability of pirated CDs and books discourages creativity and violates internationally recognised copy rights laws. Pakistan is often regarded as the hub of pirated products, which has rendered losses to manufacturers, artists, writers and intellectuals. Firdous Ashiq Awan, special assistant to the prime minister on information, says the interior ministry-led raids had initially targeted shops of Indian movies in Islamabad and they would be carried out in other parts of the country soon in collaboration with provincial governments. It is hoped that the next round of such raids would aim at eradicating piracy as well.

Side by side, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) has banned airing of ads for India-made products on television and radio networks. This measure would help the local infotainment and advertising sectors flourish as most of the manufacturers would find it easy to run their ready-made ads on local TV and radio networks. The recent development underscores the need for compliance to Pemra laws. For years, cable network operators have been airing Indian content without any check. Despite a Supreme Court directive in October last year, such channels have been openly showing Indian movies. Pemra, which has now banned the broadcast of all advertisements featuring Indian products or personalities under Section 27(a) of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, needs to enforce its law in letter and spirit. *