Ileana D’Cruz and Fawad Khan in Clear shampoo TVC

BOMBAY TIMES (August 17, 2019)

The Pakistan government has launched a crackdown on the sale of CDs of Indian movies, according to a media report on Friday. The crackdown is the latest in a series of measures announced by Pakistan in reaction to revocation of special status of Kashmir by the Indian government.

Earlier, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had banned the airing of advertisements featuring Indian artists and India-made products. “We have banned Indian advertisements and launched a crackdown on CD shops to confiscate Indian movies,” Dawn newspaper quoted Firdous Ashiq Awan, the Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Information, as saying.

She said the Interior Ministry had already started a crackdown on Indian movies in Islamabad and it will soon be expanded to other parts of the country in collaboration with the provincial governments. “Today, the interior ministry raided some compact disc shops in Islamabad and confiscated Indian movies,” she said.

PEMRA on Wednesday had circulated a letter dated August 14, announcing the ban. The PEMRA representatives said it has already withdrawn the permission to air Indian channels and content on the directions of the Pakistan Supreme Court in October last year.

“However, it has been observed that advertisements of various products of multinationals, which are either produced in India or carrying Indian characters/talent (are) being aired on the electronic media,” according to the PEMRA letter.

It said that currently ads of products such as Dettol soap, Surf Excel powder, Pantene shampoo, Head & Shoulders shampoo, Lifebuoy shampoo, Fogg body spray, Sunsilk shampoo, Knorr noodles, Fair & Lovely face wash, and Safeguard soap were being banned.

India has categorically told the international community that its decision on Jammu and Kashmir is an internal matter and has also asked Pakistan to accept it.

— PTI

Such ads won’t air on television in Pakistan anymore