WASHINGTON – The United States urged Pakistan on Friday to lift a ban onUS-funded Radio Mashaal, BBC Urdu reported.
Radio Mashaal was found involved in the anti state propoganda by the ISIand was subsequently shut down by the Interior Ministry. However USinsistence to open the Radio Channel depicts that US is intentionallyinvolved in the anti state activities in Pakistan and wants to continue it.
US Department of State spokesperson Heather Nauert expressed American’sconcerns regarding the ban, adding that the reservations had been forwardedto Islamabad.
“The ban on Radio Free Europe/ Radio Free Liberty station concerns the US,”she told reporters at a press briefing. “We have informed the Pakistanigovernment about our concerns and demand them to withdraw the decision ofclosing down Radio Mashaal without any delay.”
Last week, authorities shut down US-funded Radio Free Europe/RadioLiberty‘s Pashto-language station in the country on for airing content“against the interest of Pakistan”.
The office of RFE/RL’s Radio Mashaal in Islamabad was ordered closed bythe Ministry of Interior.
The notification accused Radio Mashaal of portraying Pakistan as a “failedstate” and “a hub of terrorism and safe haven for different militantgroups”.
It alleged that the station was “distorting facts (to) incite the targetpopulation against the state and its institutions”, referring to ethnicPashtuns.
According to its website, Radio Mashaal was launched in 2010 to helpundermine militants. RFE/RL, founded in 1950 to beam programmes into thecommunist bloc, is funded by a grant from the US Congress.
It currently broadcasts in 25 languages and aims to “serve as a‘surrogate’ free press in 23 countries where the free flow of informationis banned or not fully developed.