Sindh protests ban on Indian channels

Indian channels are popular in Pakistan due to their soaps and drama series.

Pakistani channels in the Sindh province have been blacked out by cable operators for the third day in succession, demanding a lift on the ban of 35 entertainment channels, many of which are Indian.

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"We are committed to our decision to go off the air for an indefinite period until our demands are accepted," Khalid Shaikh, chairman, Cable-Operators Association of Pakistan, said.

Shaikh said that cable operators in Punjab, the North Western Frontier Province and Islamabad supported the strike in Sindh and may announce their own soon.

Indian channels are immensely popular in Pakistan due to their soaps and drama series.

The provincial authorities have, however, tried to make cable operators resume their operations. Sindh Home Minister Rauf Siddiqui even threatened legal action if the cable operators did not resume their operations.

Agitation continued even though police raided the offices of some major cable operators in different parts of Karachi and forced them to resume their operations, local media reported.

During the raids, those operators went back on air but soon after the police's departure they blacked them out again. Sources said that the police also raided various places to arrest CAP officials but they went underground.