January 8, 2002	Tuesday	Shawwal 23, 1422

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ISLAMABAD Jan 7: The Pakistan Television has given up three most important Urdu news bulletins recently. These brief bulletins of 3 to 10 minutes durations were aired at 6.10pm, 8pm and 10pm.

The PTV authorities said that the decision was taken after the survey of viewers and in the larger national interest.

However, the insiders insist that the decision was taken under the instructions of the high officials who want to provide more information to the international viewers, specially in the present critical situation to counter the propaganda of the Indian TV channels.

The Urdu bulletin which used to be aired at 6.10pm soon after the 6.00pm English news bulletin was most important since the illiterate or semi-literate viewers who could not understand English news waited for the same. The bulletin was discontinued in the month of Ramazan without giving precise reason.

Similarly, the Urdu news headline which was telecast at 8.00 pm has been replaced with the English bulletin in a bid to give a new look, which has been done apparently on the orders of the military high commands.

The Urdu news bulletin which was telecast at 10.00pm was very useful for those viewers who missed out the main “Khabarnama” of 9pm.

Meanwhile Shakoor Tahir the director news PTV when contacted told Dawn that the 10pm bulletin was discontinued after the start of the News Night in Ramazan. He, however, could not define as to how the network would satisfy the viewers about the same. He insisted that the Urdu bulletin of 7pm was thought to be sufficient and hence English news was started at 8pm.