ISLAMABAD - India bans coverage of three Islamic countries channel over support for Pakistan on Occupied Kashmir.
The Information and Broadcasting Ministry on Sunday asked cable operators of Kashmir Valley not to air any channel from Iran, Turkey and Malaysia. A senior official of the Ministry Vikram Sahay had a long meeting with cable operators, here in Srinagar, at the Information Department office, Outlook India has reported.
In the meeting, according to operators, the official read out the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act 1995 and directed them to adhere to the regulations of the law.
Sahay, who is the joint secretary in the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, told the operators that they are violating the law by airing channels from 'Muslims' countries, especially Iran, Turkey and Malaysia.
Sahay was told that while no channel from Malaysia was being aired in the Valley, Sehar TV, a religious channel of Iran, was being aired as it is watched by the Shia community.
The operators also told the official that Al-Arabiya channel-run by Saudi Arabia-was also being aired.
The official said that both, Al-Arabiya and Sehar TV shouldn’t be aired in the region.
In the meeting, the official also sought information from the operators about the most popular TV shows in Kashmir.
Kashmir Valley is under communication blockade since August 5, when the government snapped phone, internet connections across Jammu and Kashmir ahead of revoking Article 370 from the state and splitting the state into two union territories.