Cable operators suspend Urdu news channels in Balochistan | Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF)

Pakistan Press Foundation

Cable operators suspend Urdu news channels in Balochistan

By: Bari Baloch

QUETTA – On the call of Baloch Student Organisation-Muhiud Din and Balochistan National Party-Mengal, cable operators suspended transmission of Urdu news channels across the province.

Earlier, the BSO-M and BNP had threatened to suspend transmissions of Urdu private channels from February 1 throughout the province and Baloch-dominated areas in Karachi to protest against, what they called, discriminatory attitude of news channels towards Balochistan.They alleged that the Urdu channels were not highlighting violation of human rights in Balochistan.

On Wednesday, cable operators in Quetta and some other parts of the province suspended the transmission of Urdu channels. However, the transmission of Balochi, Pashto and Sindhi channels were not suspended. Balochistan Cable Operators Association President Babark Khan told the media that some armed men stormed his office and debarred the transmission of Urdu channels. “Keeping in view the security of workers, the transmission of Urdu channels has been suspended,” he added.

The BSO-M secretary general said Baloch people had been disappearing and later their decomposed bodies were recovered on daily basis while target killings of political workers and leaders were on the rise but the channels were not highlighting the issue. “They have enough time for frivolous issues but they are completely ignoring Balochs’ woes,” he addedSimilarly, BNP Information Secretary Agha Hassan Advocate complained that electronic media was completely silent on the continued issues of Balochistan particularly on “kill-and-dump” incidents. He said electronic media had completely ignored injustices to Baloch people and added that they would continue their boycott until the channels change their attitude.

Previously, BSO-Azad had boycotted some section of Urdu newspapers and channels in Balochistan in 2010 because of non-coverage of Baloch political group’s point of view regarding Balochistan’s problems. However, the BSO-Azad had called off its strike after successful negotiations with the representatives of media.

Source: The Nation