The Cabinet which is scheduled to meet on Tuesday (today) is likely to impose a ban on the telecast of Indian Premier League (IPL) in a tit-for-tat to India, well informed sources told Business Recorder. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, in its proposal to the federal cabinet, has stated that in the wake of tense situation arising out of Pulwama attack, Indian media boycotted telecast of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2019. The Indian media attempt was to jeopardize the revenue expected to be generated from global rights, as part of its attempt to squeeze Pakistan financially.
Indian Premier League is one of the most coveted cricketing leagues and is a big ticket item in terms of financial and business volume. The Ministry of Information argues that it would be, therefore, in the fitness of things that IPL is not allowed to benefit from any financial advantage that may accrue to it from the telecast of its matches in Pakistan.
Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has therefore proposed that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority may be advised under section 5 of the PEMRA Act not to permit telecast/broadcast of IPL in Pakistan. "During the PSL, we can't tolerate the Indian companies and the government treated Pakistan cricket so we must ensure that IPL is not shown in Pakistan," said, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry while talking to a private television channels a week ago.
According to PEMRA Act, any broadcast media licence or its representative who violates or abets violation or any provision of its ordinance shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine may extend to 10 million rupees or with both. On the directions of Indian government, DSport, the official broadcaster of PSL in India, suspended PSL telecast. Indian company IMG Reliance had also pulled out of its deal to broadcast coverage of the PSL worldwide forcing Pakistan-based T20 league to find a new production company midway into the tournament.
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