According to Khalid Arain, Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is reportedly planning to initiate a crackdown on over-the-top (OTT) platforms like Netflix following the Eidul Azha holiday.
Arain stated that a productive discussion had occurred between cable operators and senior Pemra officials, during which the concerns of the cable operators were conveyed.
He said:
In his statement, he was alluding to the OTT platform, which provides streaming content over the internet.
Arain further emphasized the cable operators’ request for regulatory measures regarding those operators who provide both internet and cable services.
He announced that the regulatory body has responded positively to the cable operators’ demands. A committee within Pemra will be established to address the issue of granting licenses to cable operators and will initiate a crackdown on OTT platforms following the conclusion of Eidul Azha.
Arain advocated for a tax exemption in the cable sector, drawing a parallel to the solar power industry and suggesting that taxes on cable operators should be eased. However, he did not provide a specific explanation or justification for this request.
Furthermore, he highlighted an inequity where the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) collects Local Loop license fees from cable operators in US dollars, while subscribers make payments to cable operators in the local currency.
Arain deemed this situation unfair, citing the existing rupee-dollar exchange rate as a factor.
According to Khalid Arain, Chairman of the Cable Operators Association of Pakistan, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is
propakistani.pk
I cannot even fathom how braindead and stupid you need to be to go ahead with this.
Every single day you hear some news which wants to make you pull your hair out. Pehle hi baal gir rahay hain