HC asks government about steps taken on banned Pak TV channels

New Delhi, Jan 21: Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the government to inform it about the steps it has taken to restrain banned Pakistani TV channels from airing anti-India content in the country.

A bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain to file an affidavit regarding the steps taken by the government to restrain the banned channels as well as their programmes.

The bench asked the ASG "to get instructions as to what steps have been taken by Union of India to restrain the channels from broadcasting their programmes which are banned and are against the national interest."

The court has now fixed the matter for further hearing on April 15. The court's direction came during the hearing of a PIL filed by Nishad Sharma who alleged that Pakistani channels, banned by the government, were being broadcast by dish TV without requisite permissions.

During the last hearing, the court had asked Ministries of Information and Broadcasting and Home Affairs to submit an affidavit on how these channels and the content shown by them were being regulated. Sharma's plea referred to 16 channels, including PTV Home, Hum TV, Express Entertainment, BBSZ, Film Azia, Express News, Ariana TV and Khyber TV, which had been allegedly banned by the government for showing anti-India content.

The plea also sought that the authorities be directed "to impose rigid rules pertaining to channels being aired throughout the country".

PTI