Taliban accepts 'partial' cable broadcast in Swat

Peshawar, Apr. 8 (ANI): Taliban has accepted the cable TV operators demand to allow a partial broadcast of cable TV in Swat on the condition that only local news channels and Islamic channels would be broadcast.

"We have been allowed to resume cable TV service by Taliban leaders with certain conditions," the Daily Times quoted a cable operator from Mingora city.

Around 500,000 Mingora residents were denied access to information through news channels for eight months after the Taliban banned the service and bombed a local cable network.

The decision to allow the broadcast was taken on Sunday after a delegation of cable operators met an influential Swat-Taliban leader, Maulana Shah Dauran.

Around 500,000 Mingora residents were denied access to information through news channels for eight months after the Taliban banned the service and bombed a local cable network.

According to cable operators, the new arrangement allows for the broadcast of 17 channels.

These channels are all either Pakistani news or Islamic channels, and no western news or entertainment channels have been allowed.

"The infrastructure of the service was damaged during the militancy and we have to provide cable and boosters again, which requires technical expertise from Peshawar," a cable operators said.

While residents of Mingora have welcomed the move several cable operators are unsure about resuming their business the Taliban could change their mind at any time.

"These people are quite moody," he said. (ANI)