The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) ordered on Monday to take private TV channels Bol News and Bol Entertainment off air.
In a notification, the media watchdog stated that the licenses of M/s Labbaik (Pvt) Ltd were revoked in 2017 due to non-issuance of security clearance by the Ministry of Interior.
However, the channels continued the broadcast as the Pemra order was challenged in the Sindh High Court.
Pemra added that the Sindh court disposed of the case in 2021, in which Pemra took the stance that if the Ministry of Interior does not issue security clearance, Pemra would ban the broadcast of the channels.
Pemra said that after reviewing the court order and those of the Ministry of Interior, an immediate ban has been imposed on the broadcasting of Bol News and Bol Entertainment.
The authority further said that the 15-year period of Bol Entertainment’s license had expired last year, but the company had not submitted any application for renewal.
The news was confirmed by Sami Abrahim, the president and managing director at Bol.
PTI chief Imran Khan tweeted that the channel was banned for providing coverage to PTI.
“(This is a) message to all media houses to blackout the largest & most popular national political party from mainstream media. Unacceptable.”
PTI’s Fawad Chaudhry also tweeted about the ban.
This isn’t the first time the channel has disappeared from television screen.
Last month, PTI leader Shireen Mazari pointed out that the channel was not available on cable TV. “So now Bol off air too incl on Nayatel. Shameful. Seems we r going to have to shift almost totally to YouTube with both Ary and Bol only view-able there!” she tweeted on August 21.
ARY News is another news channel that was ordered off-air recently after PTI chief Imran Khan’s pointperson Shahbaz Gill made remarks during a live broadcast that are being investigated for being seditious.
Both Ary News and Bol News are known for extensive and ‘favourable’ coverage of ousted premier Imran Khan and his PTI party.
The ban on ARY News was overturned recently, although the channel did let go one of its senior anchorpersons Arshad Sharif. The management cited its code of conduct for social media posts as the reason in the announcement that Sharif and ARY News had parted ways.
