Advanced Television

Pakistan bans “crime” shows

May 23, 2016

By Chris Forrester

The important Islamic holy month of Ramadan starts on June 6th, and Pakistan’s TV regulator has just issued a new set of rules as to what broadcasters cannot screen during the month.

Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) says broadcasters cannot screen police or crime mysteries and in particular any shows that feature murder, robbery or suicide and in particular programming that re-enact such events.

PEMRA’s chairman, Absar Alam, told press at an Islamabad press conference that channels which broke these rules would see their licenses suspended.  “Neither the news and current affairs channels nor the entertainment channels would be allowed to telecast re-enactment or drama scenes of such crimes as law enforcement agencies have reported that countless youth, involved in crimes, have disclosed that they learned the methods of crime from TV screen”, the Chairman said.

Absar Alam said that proprietors of satellite channels have been reminded time and again about such violations but unfortunately no heed was paid by them. He said that the Authority after thorough deliberations on the issue in various meetings decided to take stern action against such violators and impose bans on such programmes.

Action against illegal Indian DTH dishes would also be taken in a systematic manner and its import would be controlled, the chairman warned.

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