KARACHI, Dec 31: The All Pakistan Cable Operators Association (APCOA) has lent unqualified support to the government decision of banning the relaying of all Indian and satellite channels in the country.

Following the state-monitored blackout of PTV in some parts of India, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority, as a tit-for-tat measure, on Saturday banned all Indian TV channels beamed through satellite in Pakistan as well as beamed by Star Satellite Channels on the plea that they were propagating material injurious to the security of Pakistan, thus violating the conditions of the licence issued by the PTA to cable TV operators.

Speaking at a press conference in the Karachi Press Club on Monday, APCOA chairman Hasan Mustafa said 70 per cent of the cable operators had implemented the PTA decision and the remaining 30 per cent would follow suit soon. He, however, refused to take responsibility for those cable operators who were not registered with the telecoms regulator and were showing Indian channels without let or hindrance.

Mr Mustafa said whereas the PTA decision had banned the relaying of about 20 channels, some channels, such as Dur Darshan and Sahara, could still be viewed through a satellite dish. He added that it was technologically not possible to stop these channels.

Agreeing with a questioner that the media war unleashed by India against Pakistan could not be won by banning channels, the APCOA chairman observed that the Indian channels had transgressed the bounds of decency and had been concocting baseless stories against Pakistan.

“The Indian channels were making a fortune in Pakistan through subscription and were using the same money to propagate malicious propaganda against Pakistan. The government did well to put a ban on them.”