Pakistan judge okays Indian movies for cable TV
February 15, 2017
By Chris Forrester
BBC Monitoring is reporting that a Pakistan High Court in Lahore has permitted Indian films to be shown on private TV channels, provided the channels have a valid licence.
Chief Justice Syed Mansoor Ali Shah granted the permission in the light of Pakistan’s PEMRA media regulator’s report that states that TV channels were allowed to air Indian films as per clause 7.2 (ii) of Licence to Establish and Operate Satellite TV Broadcast Channel Station.
The judge issued a written order of a last week hearing on a petition of Leo Communication and others challenging the ban on the broadcast of Indian content on television channels. Counsel for the petitioners had argued to the court that TV channels should also be allowed to broadcast Indian plays as they also fell within the definition of “entertainment” under the licence agreement.
Leo Comm’s hold a 15-year licence to operate a film-based TV channel called ‘Falmazia’.
Lawyers acting for PEMRA argued that “plays” did not come under the terms of the licence.