Pakistani cable television operators have blocked broadcasts of the BBC's World News channel, and threatened to suspend other foreign channels showing 'anti-Pakistan' content.
Pakistani cable television operators have blocked broadcasts of the BBC's World News channel, and threatened to suspend other foreign channels showing 'anti-Pakistan' content.
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The operators said that the move is in response to a documentary broadcast by the channel, entitled Secret Pakistan, the BBC reports.
The two-part BBC documentary questioned the country's commitment to tackling Taliban militancy.
It quoted US intelligence officials as saying that they acted as America's ally in public while secretly training and arming the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The All Pakistan Cable Operators Association called on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) "to revoke the landing rights of foreign channels" if they are found to be "propagating" information harmful to the country.
According to the report, the BBC said it was deeply concerned by the move, and called for its channel to be speedily reinstated.
"We condemn any action that threatens our editorial independence and prevents audiences from accessing our impartial international news service," a BBC spokesperson said.
"We would urge that BBC World News and other international news services are reinstated as soon as possible," the spokesperson added.