Pemra terms ‘Wesal Urdu’ channel illegal

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has said that it has come to its notice that a certain channel by the name of "Wesal Urdu" has been inciting violence and hatred against a certain religious sect.

It said “Wesal Urdu” is not a licensee of Pemra and no cable operator in Pakistan is running this channel. Strict action as per Pemra laws would be taken in case any cable operator is found involved in airing this channel’s transmission.

According to Pemra information, it is a UK-based TV channel and is being beamed into Pakistan illegally through a foreign satellite operator, Asiasat 7, which is out of bounds for Pemra, and can only be watched by those individuals who have installed illegal satellite dishes at their homes. Pemra is approaching “Asiasat 7” to stop airing this TV channel.

However, it is also to be noted that “Asiasat 7” is not under the jurisdiction of Pemra. Other state institutions need to put in their efforts to stop the transmission of “Asiasat 7” in Pakistan. Pemra is also approaching PTA to block the website of Wesal Urdu as online content is regulated by PTA and not by Pemra.

Despite Pemra's clear instructions, if anyone finds that any cable operator anywhere inside Pakistan is airing this illegal TV channel, please lodge a complaint against the said cable operator, mentioning the area/city/village, at Pemra's website. For the registration of complaint log in at: www.pemra.gov.pk or call Pemra's 24/7 complaint centre at 0800-73672. Complaints can also be posted at Pemra's twitter handle: @reportpemra.