Barring PTV, Pak channels, SMS remain off air, Sen back in Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 29 (UNI) Barring PTV, all Pakistani channels and SMS service remained off air in the Kashmir valley where the authorities have lifted ban on a local cable network ''SEN channel'' after about four weeks.

The Jammu and Kashmir government imposed ban on SMS service of all mobile service companies in the state, following the reports about its misuse during the Shri Amarnath Land agitation in Jammu in July.

However, on a petition filed by the local Bar Association, the state High Court ordered resumption of the SMS service. The order was challenged by the state government in the Supreme Court.

The Apex court stayed the High Court order and allowed the ban on the SMS services after the the state government said that ban was necessary for security reasons.

The District Magistrate, Srinagar, directed all local channels to stop telecasting news and current affairs programme in the last week of August, after they covered the live Muzaffarabad, Pampore, Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) and ''Edigah chalo march'' in which lakhs of people participated.

The local cable operators, in retaliation, snapped all the national and international news channels.

However, telecasting of Pak chennels and ETV Urdu were not affected.

Later, all the Pakistani channels went off-the-air, following directions from the local opertors.

The cable operators resumed telecasting of all the channels only after the District Magistrate (DM) lifted restrictions on them.

The DM later imposed restrictions on the SEN channel on October 4.

However, the restrictions have been lifted on October 28 and the channel resumed its normal telecasting.

Barring PTV, all the Pakistani channels, including GEO, ARY and AAJ channels remained off-the-air in the valley.

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