The blocking of British Broadcasting Corporation is outrageous, beyond comprehension and a blatant attack on the freedom of speech and expression.

The allegations that BBC has been involved in ‘maligning’ and defaming Pakistan by distorting facts about the actual ground situation are entirely baseless, groundless and unfounded.

No systematic propaganda campaign by BBC against Pakistan has been observed.

The Cable Operator Association seems enraged over BBC’s ‘Secret Pakistan’ documentary which, the Association believes, is “anti-Pakistan propaganda” as it wrongly descries Pakistan Army and its intelligence wings as ‘supporter’ and ‘sympathiser’ of Afghan Taliban.

However, the fact of the matter is that the afore-mentioned documentary was deeply investigated, impartial and based on facts. The documentary has corroborated the facts by conducting wide-range of interviews with senior US military officials based in Afghanistan, journalists and Taliban activists.

Pakistan receives a fair amount of coverage by BBC- the 2010 flood that devastated Pakistan was extensively covered by the channel; many Pakistani public figures including Interior Minister Rehman Malik, PTI chairman Imran Khan, Pakistan’s ambassador to UN Abdullah Hussain Haroon and writer-activist Fatima Bhutto have been interviewed by the BBC World News.

Besides, there is no denying the fact that BBC World News is a vibrant news channel that airs many educational programmes as well.

To satisfy its audience with medical leaning, it broadcasts the Health Show while those interested in modern technology trends can watch Click.

I therefore make a passionate appeal to the Cable Operator Association to end their unjustified boycott of BBC, the leading English-language news channel around the globe.

SAAD KHOSA Jaffarabad