Islamabad - After a recent row with Afghanistan over cross- border infiltration of Islamic militants, Pakistan banned two Afghan TV channels Thursday for airing their contents in south-western Balochistan province, accusing them of anti-Pakistan propaganda.
The ban was imposed on Pushto and Persian language Tolo and Ariana TV channels by the state-run Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
'These two channels were involved in anti-Pakistan propaganda,' PEMRA's regional official Jalal-ud-din Khan told Deutsche Presse- Agentur dpa in Balochistan's provincial capital of Quetta.
Khan cited the recent failed assassination attempt on the head of the Afghan Senate, Sibgatullah Mujadadi in Kabul and alleged that the two channels immediately pointed finger at Pakistani intelligence agencies.
'Whatever is happening in Afghanistan, the bomb blasts or killings, they instantly involve Pakistan in these incidents,' he said, adding that both Tolo and Ariana, aired by local cable operators in Balochistan only, also did not have rights in Pakistan.
In Afghanistan, a statement issued in Kabul by Tolo management said, they were 'alarmed at news that Tolo has been banned in Balochistan.'
'The Management of TOLO TV has made attempts to discuss this issue with the Pakistani Embassy in Kabul without any success,' the statement said, adding, the private TV remain committed to presenting 'balanced and accurate news to the public everywhere we have coverage.'
There has been an undeclared ban on Pakistan's only Pushto tv channel 'Khyber' in Afghanistan for similarly charges of indulging in anti-country propaganda.
Pakistan and Afghan had been involved in exchange of hot words in recent weeks over the infiltration of Islamic militants across the border they share.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai during a recent visit to Pakistan handed over a list that contained information about some 40 Taliban leaders who, he alleged, were operating from Pakistan to carry out subversive activities in his country.
However, Pakistan rejected most of the information on the list as 'out-dated.'
The new row over TV channels comes a day after the two countries launched trial of a first bus service on Wednesday between their border cities of Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan and Pakistan's northern Peshawar city.
Pakistan is scheduled to run its trial bus to Jalalabad on Friday.
