|
MUMBAI:
The Pakistan government has suspended the transmission of
two private television channels - Geo TV and Aaj TV in major
parts of the country including cities like Karachi, Islamabad
and Lahore on Sunday, because of their alleged 'anti-government'
programmes.
Channel
authorities say that the government has forced cable operators
into suspending their transmissions. The ostensible reason
is believed to be Geo's failure to give prizes to cables operators
as promised, but Sunday's blackout coincided with the airing
of a show containing anti-government references - Meray
Mutabiq.
The
government has already publicised plans to curb live coverage
of outdoor events indicating unhappiness over live TV coverage
of suspended chief justice Iftikhar Chaudhary's anti-government
agitation.
Aaj
TV news controller Masoom Osmani told Daily Times that
a "technical fault" could be responsible for the
interruption, adding he was contacting the government to confirm
the actual situation.
He
cited a possible government attempt to block the private media's
coverage of the judicial crisis, saying a Pakistan Electronic
Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) notice had instructed them
to stop airing live debates and shows.
|
