The Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday ordered for an immediate ban on 30 Islamic and Pakistan-based religious and spiritual channels across all cable television networks.
A notification, issued by the Additional District Magistrate, Srinagar to the owner of a private cable television network based in the city, said that the operator has three days to suspend the "banned religious and news channels".
The list of channels also includes controversial Islamic preacher, Zakir Naik's Peace English and Peace Urdu Channels and Pakistani channels such as GEO News, ARY, QTV and Paigam TV.
The notification mentions that the cable operator has been telecasting various channels that have not been permitted by the Union Telecom Ministry. It further says that the ban is in the larger interest of public and maintenance of peace and tranquility in the state.
"Now, therefore in essence of powers conferred by the section 19 of Cable Television Networks(Regulation) Act, 1995, you are hereby directed to immediately stop telecasting the banned/ non permitted channels within a period of three days, for which a notarized affidavit be furnished to this office, failing which action as contemplating under the Provisions of Cable Television Networks (Regulation)Act, 1995 will be taken against you," the government order stated.
Official sources told the International Business Times, India that the state government has directed all the Deputy Commissioners across various districts of the valley to explain why cable operators were allowed to telecast the banned channels.
The state administration has also banned various social media websites already. A letter believed to have been written by a Hizbul Mujahideen militant, Mannan Wani was recently taken down from a news portal.
Here is the list of channels that have been banned:
Peace TV English
Peace TV Urdu
ARY QTV
Madni Channel
Noor TV
Hadi TV
Paigam
Hidayat
Saudi Al-Sunnah Al-Nabawiyah
Saudi-Al-Quran Al-Karim
Sehar, Karbala TV
Ahli-biat TV
Message TV
Hum TV
ARY Digital Asia
Hum Sitaray
ARY Zindagi
ARY Musik
TV One
ARY Masala
ARY Zauq
A TV
Geo News
ARY News Asia
Abb Takk News
Waseb TV
92 News
Duniya News
Samna News
Geo Tez
Express-News
ARY News
