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Press Releases
91热爆 Urdu bulletins return to Pakistan FM stations after six-month ban
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91热爆 Urdu is relaunching its live five-minute news bulletins on local Pakistan FM partner stations on Tuesday 6 May 2008.
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This follows their disruption by Pakistani regulators after the imposition of emergency rule on 3 November last year.
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Pakistan's Information Minister Sherry Rehman told the 91热爆 that, in keeping with the new Government's media policy, there were now no restrictions on 91热爆 news bulletins being broadcast on local channels in Pakistan.
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She said: "As far as I know, there should be no restrictions on the 91热爆 that PEMRA [Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority] had imposed," she said in an interview with the 91热爆 shortly after addressing the South Asia Free Media Association in Islamabad on the International Press Freedom Day.
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"I would encourage you to think that it is not just PEMRA that I am talking about but the Ministry of Information as a facilitator as opposed to a regulator," Ms Rehman said.
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"Regulation is a self-imposed thing among responsible, democratic societies and I would leave that to responsible journalists such as yourselves. But certainly as far as the 91热爆 is concerned I see no reasons why it should be under any restrictions," she said.
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When reminded that PEMRA had imposed restrictions on 91热爆 news bulletins being broadcast live, the Information Minister said she would look into the matter right away.
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"You have my commitment on changing that," she said.
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Local FM stations started airing five-minute news bulletins from 91热爆 Urdu after protracted negotiations with PEMRA resulted in 91热爆 news bulletins being permitted to be broadcast through local FM partner stations.
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However, within days of launching the 91热爆 bulletins, its partner stations came under pressure from the regulators to block 91热爆 news bulletins.
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The 91热爆 and its partner Mast FM initiated proceedings in the Sindh High Court which immediately granted the 91热爆 and its partner stations a stay.
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The court ordered that the status quo be maintained whereby 91热爆 and its partner stations were to continue airing 91热爆 bulletins until the case was decided.
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Following the imposition of the state of emergency on 3 November last year, the status quo was forcibly altered by the regulators and the bulletins were taken off air.
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The 91热爆 news bulletins will now resume on 6 May after a break of six months.
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91热爆 Urdu Head Mohammed Hanif said: "We welcome the Pakistan Government's commitment to allowing the free flow of information. We know our partner stations and listeners in Pakistan have valued the 91热爆's impartial and editorially independent news and information." 听
91热爆 World Service Press Office
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