National digital cable policy for cable operators approved: Fawad

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Wednesday said the government had approved the National Digital Cable Policy 2021 for cable operators.

During a meeting with a delegation of Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, he said under the policy, a subscription model would be launched enabling the existing cable operators to subscribe for running new channels. He said at present, analog cable was being provided to homes, which had poor quality with less number of channels.

Fawad said the digitization of cable network would increase transparency in channel ratings as well as their number. The subscription model would allow the cable operators to purchase and operate local and international content, he added. The cable operators, he said, would be provided loans under the Kamyab Jawan Programme for buying digital boxes and their repayment after collecting fee/charges from the customers.

The delegation briefed the minister about their problems, and challenges. The minister assured them that their problems/issues would be resolved.

The delegation comprised Cable Operators Association of Pakistan Chairman Irfan Ali Khoso, President Raja Asad Ali Khan, General Secretary Ghufran Mujtaba and Information Secretary Malik Moazzam Sultan; Cable Operators Association Sindh President Muhammad Ismail Jatoi; Divisional President Khairpur Zulfiqar Junejo;

President of South Punjab Ilyas Warraich; President of Cable Operators Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Furqan Afridi; and Treasurer of Cable Operators Association Karachi Saeed Shah, Malik Muhammad Wazir Awan from Hafizabad, Raja Amir from Hassan Abdal, Abdul Muqeem Khoso and Naveed Abro from Sukkur, and Zahid Bhatti, from Islamabad also attended the meeting.