Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has released a set of instructions for airing drama serials for TV channels.
The media watchdog notes that Pakistan’s drama industry is famous throughout the world which has resulted in a significant increase in popularity and viewership of local TV channels. This has also resulted in people following the trends shown in these dramas to a T.
PEMRA believes that drama serials are watched by all family members in a typical Pakistani household. This makes it all the more important that the dramas cater to different types of the audience while also ensuring that they aren’t promoting indecency and immorality.
Additionally, TV channels themselves are incorporating immoral themes into these dramas that are not only against social and ethical norms, they are also resulting in societal degradation.
Keeping this in mind, the electronic media watchdog has formulated instructions for drama serial makers to adhere to and curb the promotion of indecent themes.
PEMRA’s Instructions
To ensure that the channel owners avoid creating dramas on controversial or inappropriate themes, PEMRA has mandated the following instructions that should be followed at all costs:
This follows up on a recent string of bans and fines imposed by PEMRA on local TV channels. Only a month ago, PEMRA fined Hum TV Rs. 1 million for airing indecent scenes in a drama. Drama serial Kitni Girhein Baqi Hein’s episode, titled “Chew Gum” was pointed out specifically.
Read More:Â PEMRA Fines Hum TV Rs. 1 Million Over Indecent Scenes in Drama
PLEASE MAKE SURE THIS APPLICABLE ON NETFLIX AND IFLIX. These companies need to be regulated also. They are not paying one paisa to PEMRA or FBR and enjoying all the benefits and no regulation applies to them. Only local cable operators and local broadcasters are being burdened with these rules and high fees.
PEMRA needs to step up and regulate. What license do over the top OTT companies have anyway? If they are working through PTCL, NAYATEL IPTV OR MOBILE TV licenses then these operators should be held responsible and must force Netflix and Iflix to fall in line RIGHT NOW!
PEMRA should only look at Free to air programs and should not sniff over NetFlix or other online services. You pay what you want to see, so leave them alone.
Companies like NETFLIX and IFLIX are not under PEMRA regulations because they are not showing, in general, Pakistani programs. They are foreign services and since they reside on the internet, which PEMRA has absolutely no say in, nothing can be done.
Besides, who cares. If you don’t like their programming, don’t watch them. Simple as that. Don’t try and force your opinions on those who don’t feel the same way as you.
exactly
With this logic what if all channels start showing content that doesn’t match with the culture viewers should throw their TV sets ?
Even in India something that is against the culture, vulgar is banned. Over one year they stopped telecast of many TV programs and channels, and PEMRA is giving this direction for channels of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, let some Islam be left here.
He’s talking about Netflix yar, it’s a paid service and most Pakistanis don’t even know about it
Yep that’s exactly what people should do, when cable TV won’t show what people want to see, they will loose revenue as people will stop watching. The market forces will automatically fix what the content according to what people want to see. There is no need for govt intervention
Also NETFLIX is a streaming website not a electronic media
IFlix has almost all Pakistani Dramas available online, and that is the reason they have entered the Pakistani market via a local network. I agree that these regulations should be applied on such OTT platforms as well.
Oh shut the F up.
You shut up. Chaudry Amir is 100% right. Any content seen in Pakistan can be licensed and regulated. See what happenin in China and other countries. Any information even if delivered over internet is regulated by PEMRA, Min of Info and PTA. If PTA can ban websites and IP addresses for blasphemous contents and then is makin Pakistani cable operators to suffer then who the h is Netflix or Iflix or others.
Neflix and Iflix must be brought under PEMRA regulations or then cable TV and IPTV services of PTCL and Nayatel must be brought OUT of PEMRA regulations. If there not level playing field for Pakistani operators, I advice ALL PAKISTANI OPERATORS MOVE UR IPTV operation to Sweden and only then sell boxes or softwares and apps in Pakistan like Netflix and Iflix.
PEMRA already ban CLINE so no case for not regulating Netflix of Iflix. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.
Very right. We cable operators are suffering at hands of PEMRA. We are paying hefty fees to PEMRA and every day new story on this is banned and that is not banned but companies like Cline Netflix icflix iflix and what not is operating freely on internet not paying any fees to PEMRA and no tax and not any authority is asking them for money or forcing them to comply.
Advice is completely right. We must shut down our cable tv headend and move to other country and set up iptv headend and just sell apps in Pakistan like all these companies like cline and iflix are doing.
We will make charges on credit cards and not be bugged by fbr or pemra and every single agency or powerful person wanting free connections.
Funny that mention China as an example. China is famous for its strict censorship of free speech and draconian laws in general. Not really a country we should be following in that regard.
So don’t go begging to China for $52 bn CPEC aid also!
Don’t worry Netflix and Iflix if they want to operate legally will come under regulator soon. PTA is just appointing a consultant for regulating Over the top voice and messaging services such as Whatsapp, FaceTime etc.
Regulation of over the top TV will soon follow. OTT video will also come under the hammer of tax authorities since the Netflix and Iflix subscriptions currently are not paying tax to government of Pakistan while cable operators are. The orginal author is right. This creates an unlevel playing field and will get fixed no matter if we consumers like it or not since non discrimination,fairness and equal playing field to all players is enshrined in our constitution and PTA act (don’t know about PEMRA Act).
one word, Proxies and VPN XD
ok those were two words
CPEC and NetFlix are two different things… lol! come on yar
No you really need to shut up and let us enjoy whatever the F we want to watch. What I legally watch in the privacy of my own home is none of anyone’s damn business.
PEMRA has no legal power of what happens on the internet. Has these companies are not registered in Pakistan, they are not required to pay taxes in Pakistan. Only resident companies need to pay taxes
great instructions. only if implemented…………….
Late Aye Par Durust Aye :
Good Rules by PEMRA :
Hope all Pakistani Channels follows this rules.
News channels, for God’s sake look at them and regulate them, all spreading hatred and showing indian content during head lines
All these channels are spreading hatred, dividing the society based on political and ethnic affiliation. You actually get frustrated watching these channels.
I was surprised to see on one Pakistani TV channel airing a news “4 Pathan arrested by Lahore police”.
True, divide the people by political views, create gaps between the people and the Army. news channels have become political media houses. They create hatred between Pakistani agencies and disrupt the communication between the people and the National Establishments
How about doing somethin for our film industry?
Unnecessary ‘item songs’ with unwanted skin exposure should stop right away. The same films would still be hit anyway. There is no decency left amongst our media anymore, they are jst following Bollywood and thats it
Thori si skin exposure se ap k jazbaat jaag uthte hain? How about you control your hormones?
How?
By not being a pervert.
My hormones are pretty much under control. How about you get yourself checked? Low hormonal state could put you in an identity crises i reckon
Keep living in your fantasy land where no skin is shown. Even in stone age people wore dresses that showed a lot of skin, so I guess your mind is even more primitive than that?
Anyways, there’s no doubt in my mind that Pakistan is going to go further down the gutter with ‘daqya noos’ mentality of people like you. Have fun with that.
Stone age was so primitive. We are educated now and we know the repurcussions today. People like you definately belong to stone age , i gues u were a mistake !
You don’t sound educated my friend. You can’t even type with proper grammar let alone hold a proper discussion.
Now go cry to your mommy about it.
‘Let alone hold’
Oh yeah , i just noticed the PHD you have in English grammar . Bravo to someone like you who was destined to be born in stone age but mistakenly got delivered in the 21st century. I am sorry for your loss though, as i said you were a mistake , that means you cnt even go and cry about this infrnt of ur mom.
Yaar tum se kya baat kerni. Tumhari English to bilkul he farigh hai. Let alone ka matlab https://goo.gl/bu8oyj aur hold a discussion https://goo.gl/BqUnpvka
Ye comment Urdu mein iss liye likha hai ke tumhari unparh khopri ko samakh aa jaey.
hum tv par sang e mar mar ,humsafar aur zindagi gulzar hai jesay behtreen dramay b on air aye han logo ko un se bhi kuch learn kerna chahye.
Must appreciate the effort. But its important to mention that these are actually principles not specific rules except few. Principle based instructions are always better, but need to be monitored and penalized in order to be implemented. Otherwise a variety of interpretations may be assumed. E.g. 3c says “manfi manazir to nashar karnay say ijtenab karna chahiye”. One may interpret that divorce is negative but other may say its not negative. Your opinion guys???
Some drama show taboo subject like prostitute, homosexual, and affair. This makes people mind corrupt and want to do it in real world.
In the race to show something new and interesting and to touch topics never shown on TV screens these channels are crossing any limit.
Hamari society ki khobsorti youngsters ko positive side dikhanay ma ha for a positive lifestyle. TV channels if are for entertainment then their is no time to complete collapse of the society.
Good! But should be followed accordingly.
Hahahahahahhahahahhahahahahahhahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahahhaha
B@/&:£:d Indian tv channels Khulay Aam chal rahay hai woh nazer nahi atta Pemra ko
Dear Mr. Chaudhary,
These instruction is not for the cable operators, this value able notice is for our drama/serial makers i.e: Pakistani drama directors and producers. We must should follow these rules in our society which reflects true colors and tradition of islam, not artificial designed religion by any human or person.
(remember that NETFLIX & IFLIX is not Pakistan’s Productions, so these rules cannot be implemented on NETFLIX and IFLIX)
In my opinion these value able rules are also for :
Our society ( viewers)
& Drama Artists ( Actors/Performers)
May ALLAH give us hidayath as Muhammad(p.b.u.h) pray for us.
this!
Again trying to repress sexual urge in the name of religion and culture. Sex is natural, it’s not something evil. Just like you feel hungry, you feel the sex drive. Instead of trying to regulate sexuality, we should make it easy for people (both men and women) to pursue relationships and if you’re religious you should be able to marry easily. We’ve made relationships difficult by making them a taboo. We’ve made marriages difficult by turning them into an exhibition of wealth and riches. That’s not how it’s going to work.
Last night I watched the documentary “Pakistan’s Hidden Shame” which was about pedophilia in Pakistan and it was 45 minutes of pure sadness. We’re turning our people into sexual predators. Nangay jismon pe pabandi laganay sy nangi zehniat pe qabu ni paa skty.
Ye to drama’s ka 50 shades of grey ho gya ;)
Good Step by PEMRA, If Implemented sincerely.
While I personally don’t watch Pakistani dramas or movies, I think it’s about time they start considering online services for distribution to break out of this useless censorship by local bodies like PEMRA etc.
FFS AL BAKISTAN…FFS