Pakistan: BBC Blocked On Cable Over Critical Documentary

KARACHI, Pakistan — Operators have blocked BBC World News because of a documentary critical of the country's commitment to fighting Islamist militants, the president of Pakistan's cable TV association said Tuesday

Khalid Arain said the decision was implemented after the network showed the documentary, "Secret Pakistan," on Nov. 23.

The BBC says on its website that the two-part documentary explores accusations by CIA officials and western diplomats that Pakistan is failing to live up to its commitments in the war on terror.

Tensions are especially high after NATO airstrikes accidentally killed 24 Pakistani soldiers Saturday.

The U.S. and other countries have criticized Pakistan for refusing to target Afghan insurgents using its territory to attack NATO troops in Afghanistan.

The BBC issued a harsh statement in response. "We condemn any action that threatens our editorial independence and prevents audiences from accessing our impartial international news service," it said.

Comments

[Angelocracy]

06:51 AM on 12/01/2011

A different view on Pakistan. http://www.mi7.co/2011/11/cheapmunks-pakistans-most-powerful.html

[dbrett480]

06:08 PM on 11/30/2011

The documentary must have lots of truth to it or the Pakistanis would not have blocked it.

[Susan Shaffer]

06:41 PM on 11/30/2011

maybe, or so many lies that a line has been drawn in the sand.

[Dev Saha]

10:57 PM on 11/30/2011

I bet your Muslim name is a lie!

[Luuke]

02:08 PM on 11/30/2011

Sh1thole of a country.....Why is it in existence beats me

[Yasser Yousufi]

10:20 AM on 12/01/2011

You mean USA?

[Luuke]

06:54 PM on 12/02/2011

Your attempt at humor

[Wozzeck]

10:50 AM on 11/30/2011

The UK blocks Iran's PressTV, so why the hypocritical complaint about Pakistan?
http://englandsfreedome.blogspot.com/2011/10/why-is-ofcom-banning-press-tv.html

[westcoastsc]

08:56 AM on 11/30/2011

They have every right to ban the BBC for putting out inaccurate propaganda by the CIA.

[Dev Saha]

11:00 PM on 11/30/2011

You are right! Osama story was a true CIA propaganda?

[Smith14P]

03:40 AM on 11/30/2011

who are the worried ones? does truth hurt or are BBC being biased?

[Tidyus]

10:14 PM on 11/29/2011

BBC's statement is funny. We condemn anything that blocks..."our impartial international news service". as if their assesment should giver it automatic clearence. Wake up, grow up and get real BBC.

[Luuke]

02:00 PM on 11/30/2011

As compared to the site we on right now ??? Wake pal...BBC is BBC and no news channel comes even close

[Tidyus]

04:21 PM on 11/30/2011

I will have to grant you that maybe..but Huff post never made such statements. It is funny.

[Dev Saha]

10:04 PM on 11/29/2011

The country is totally addicted to the terrorism! No cure in sight!

[Yasser Yousufi]

05:07 AM on 11/30/2011

who cares what Indians thinks about Pakistan~!

[Dev Saha]

07:26 AM on 11/30/2011

My friend, the whole world has spoken! You do not need to care about anything or anybody if you are not a beggar. When Europeans and Americans hear the name of Pakistan, they know who they are dealing with. Only thing that you guys can do now a days is to visit Mecca for for pilgrimage.

[westcoastsc]

08:57 AM on 11/30/2011

Yes, how do we change America from using terrorism to justify their military industrial complex after the end of the cold war?

[Dev Saha]

11:26 AM on 11/30/2011

Actually, terror is best antidote against the terrorists! America is not terrorizing Chinese, Indians or Japanese. You get my point!

[koos458]

08:14 PM on 11/29/2011

Pakistan uses foreign aid money to finance insurgents so there will be more foreign aid money. Time to get out of Pakistan, money and all.

[fleetman8]

06:45 PM on 11/29/2011

United States Australia and Europe have turned there countries in to a paradise by exploiting Africa, Asia, Middle East and South America. They have caused all the instability by installing puppet regimes. If any other country decided to do the same thing to America and Europe, that country will be destroyed in the name of Democracy and world peace. Millions of people including children have been killed and displaced from so called economic sanctions in Iraq, Angola, Somalia, Yemen and Afghanistan.

[koos458]

08:09 PM on 11/29/2011

Love this post! It's so absurd it is funny. Hey guys, we live in a paradise! Trying to stop these tribal types from killing each other is akin to teaching pigs to sing.

[Dev Saha]

11:39 PM on 11/30/2011

I agree, this man needs to invited to a dinner as a quest idiot! He will be a great joker!

[Shomali]

06:37 PM on 11/29/2011

BBC needs to calm down, they are a government owned organization and their foreign news is mostly British propaganda.

[HumanityEqualsLaw]

04:41 PM on 11/29/2011

"Ooh, critical info, quick make it disappear!", doesn´t work in a world where information spreads all around the globe in an instant. And there is so much negative information about Pakistan to spread that even if the whole world was run like China or Pakistan they couldn´t contain it.

[celtcalgal]

04:05 PM on 11/29/2011

Islam cannot handle honesty, and the BBC is known for its honesty.

[Niaz-niaz]

05:59 PM on 11/29/2011

Try to read the English translation of Quran & see if you can find any thing in it which advise people to be dishonest.You will find no such thing in it at all .If some muslims are dishonest, this is not the fault of religion.Are all christians,jews .hindu ,sikhs are all honest?.No there are dishonest people in all faiths but that dosn`t mean that the religions tell them to do that.

[papapj]

06:26 PM on 11/29/2011

Well said....

[Dev Saha]

09:54 PM on 11/29/2011

Quran does not hide its prejudice against non-believers.
Islam may not be in fault but people who practice Islam, in general are very intolerant. That is my empirical experience.

[Sickofpoliticians2]

03:58 PM on 11/29/2011

"Pakistan is failing to live up to its commitments in the war on terror."
Not wanting to appear slightly critical of Pakistans committments but, if they're so committed then why was OBL hiding in what constitutes a mansion in a Pakistani garrison town, and, was probably hanging out there for years. Now I'm all in favour of the "hiding in full view" notions of the espionage boys n girls but you'd have to be a complete chump to swallow whole that no-one in that town would/could believe who was behind that buildings walls, Pakistan wants your aid, they're not interested in your ethics or your way of life, they're Muslims and OBL was a brother. The Pakistani community danced in British streets and all around their home country on 9/11as the towers collapsed, as did the Saudis and other ME nationals.

[Susan Shaffer]

05:09 PM on 11/30/2011

having lived in pakistan and dealt with other people from the subcontinent and the middle east I can say there is a different way of accepted behaviour. for instance a westerner would speak more bluntly about what cannot be done. as a westerner you would not be upset that someone said sorry we cannot do this in this time frame and would suggest x period of time is more realistic. A person from the middle east or subcontinent will say yes, tomorrow. Tomorrow means a very different thing when spoken by a westerner to someone from the middle east and subcontinent. For someone in business time is essential. Money and energy and resources will be allocated according to time.
Now with regard to bin laden living in Abbottabad in plain view, I am sure someone knew, like the guys who were killed along with him. The fact that he didn't go out of the compound, that he looked quite old and faded as per the image of him watching reruns of himself on video, that the neighbours didn't know he was there although a few kids did comment that there was an old man living there.

[Susan Shaffer]

05:09 PM on 11/30/2011

I want to contrast this last one with the statement issued by the white house about him dieing his hair and issuing new threats that were recorded. Sorry, I didn't buy that story. I think bin laden had become irrelevant and the compound was not the command centre for world terror. I pretty much think that what ever exists of al qaeda is splinters of individuals who create their own plans. If the US government wants to stay in Afghanistan for any extended period of time I feel it has as much to do with Iran as it has to do with making Afghanistan stable.

[Smarty5]

03:25 PM on 11/29/2011

BBC needs to make a documentary called "Lap dog" about UK's relationship with the US and then see how it goes over in Queen's England.

[HumanityEqualsLaw]

04:38 PM on 11/29/2011

It wouldn´t get pulled off the air by government orders, that´s for sure.

[pete cole]

05:00 PM on 11/29/2011

"We condemn any action that threatens our editorial independence" This also applies to the UK government.

[Smarty5]

06:33 PM on 11/29/2011

Read the story fella, it wasnt the govt who blocked it.

[Tidyus]

10:19 PM on 11/29/2011

LOL Smarty5. You deserve your name.

[Smarty5]

12:34 AM on 11/30/2011

Thank you very much.