Pakistan has banned all Indian content on Pakistani television amid rising hostilities after New Delhi revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and split it into two Union Territories, Dawn reported on Thursday. Any Indian advertisement featuring Indian actors/characters are now prohibited from being aired on electronic media, said Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in a statement.
“In the wake of recent escalation in tension between the two neighbouring countries on Kashmir issue, Government of Pakistan has announced to celebrate Independence Day on August 14, 2019, as ‘Kashmir Solidarity Day’. However at the same time, advertisements produced in India carrying Indian actors/characters/talent are being aired on Pakistani media, negating the state policy,” read PEMRA’s statement.
Eleven multinational brands will be affected by this ban. These include Dettol, Surf Excel, Fogg, Sunsilk and Fair and Lovely.
This came days after Pakistan banned all cultural exchanges with India, including all kinds of joint ventures between the entertainment industries of the two countries. Last week, the Pakistan government also banned the screening of Indian films in the country’s cinemas. In response, the All Indian Cine Workers Association on Friday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded a blanket ban on Pakistani artistes, diplomats and bilateral relations.
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