India-Pakistan Conflict Update: No Indian Content To Air In Pakistan Starting Oct. 21, Regulatory Authority Says

The conflict between archrivals India and Pakistan further escalated along cultural lines with Pakistan’s media regulatory authority announcing its decision to ban all Indian TV and radio content in the country starting Friday.

“The ban will come into effect at 3pm on October 21. Licences of TV channels and radio stations that go against the ban will be cancelled without any show-cause notice,” Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) said in a statement Wednesday, local media reported.

According to Pemra rules, only 10 percent of airtime can be dedicated to the broadcasting of foreign content in the country. In September, the authorities cracked down on illegal airing of foreign content that could lead to heavy fines for some broadcasters.

On Sept. 29, the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association, in a resolution, barred Pakistani actors and technicians from working in the country “until normalcy returns.” Pakistan retaliated by banning the release of hugely popular Indian films, for the first time since 2008.

While certain directors and producers in India sought to continue working with talent from across the border, Pakistani actors like Fawad Khan and Mahira Khan have been reportedly asked to leave the country. "Quantico" star and Indian actress Priyanka Chopra has said that talented actors were being unfairly targeted by such moves.

Tensions between the two countries have remained high after terrorists attacked an Indian army base in Uri, Jammu and Kashmir, last month, resulting in the deaths of 19 Indian soldiers. According to India, the attacks were carried out by Pakistan-based militants to which it retaliated through “surgical strikes” on militant hideouts across the Line of Control late September. Pakistan has denied that any such strikes took place.

Following this, there have been regular reports of militant attacks on Indian army bases across the border state of Jammu and Kashmir, leaving little scope for diplomatic endeavors.