In New Delhi on 2 June 1999, the Indian minister for information and broadcasting, Pramod Mahajan, banned the transmission of Pakistan Television (PTV) by cable operators.
According to Agence France-Presse (AFP), Mahajan said cable operators throughout the country would be prohibited from telecasting PTV programmes because of the "vilification campaign against India, especially in connection with the Kargil situation," a reference to the military operations launched by the Indian army in Kashmir. All independent international media are banned in Indian-occupied Kashmir, in efforts to maintain an almost complete news blackout regarding human rights violations there.
Pakistan has long accused India of jamming PTV's transmission via satellites and interference relays. This is in contrast to the unrestricted availability in Pakistan of Indian satellite networks. The Indians stations are not only popular in Pakistan, but businesses in Pakistan also provide considerable advertising to these stations.
Mohajan said that he had advised state governments to immediately issue orders to the police asking them to take swift action against cable operators flouting the order.
