The Pakistan cabinet has turned down its national broadcaster’s request to enter into a contract with Indian companies to telecast Pakistan’s upcoming cricketing series with England, saying it can’t have relations with India until it restored the old status of Jammu and Kashmir.

Briefing the media about the decisions taken in the federal cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan won’t restore relations with India unless it gives back Jammu and Kashmir the special status it enjoyed before August 5, 2019.

The cabinet rejected Pakistan TV’s (PTV’s) exemption request from the ban in import policy order, 2020, to enter into contracts and trade with Indian companies for importing sports broadcasting rights and services.

“We can’t do business with an Indian company,” Fawad said, adding that Pakistan’s cricket series with England would not be broadcast in Pakistan because Indian companies have the rights for showing such content in South Asia, Tribune reported.

Fawad said Pakistan’s relations with India depend upon the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

“The same principle was applied while dealing with PTV’s application,” he said, adding it was a difficult situation but the government would try to resolve the issue.
On August 5, 2019, India’s Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance government had scrapped Article 370 of the nation’s constitution that gave special powers to Jammu and Kashmir.

(SAM)