By IANS
Dubai : The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has stated that the country’s neutral foreign policy and its “positive and constructive role” in international affairs were the reasons for taking off the air the two Dubai-based Pakistani news channels, Geo News and ARY TV.
“The UAE has been an advocate of international law and an active contributor to peace and stability in the region,” Ibrahim Al-Abed, director general of UAE’s National Media Council, said in a statement while commenting on the decision taken by the Dubai Media City to close down the two channels.
The two television networks, operating from ground stations in Dubai, were asked to suspend their transmissions by midnight Friday.
GEO TV has eight channels uplinking from its offices at Dubai Media City. Geo News has three beams covering Pakistan, the Middle East and the US and Britain.
Its other entertainment and sports channels have been allowed to operate but on the condition that they do not show any news or current affairs programmes.
“In the light of the current sensitive state of affairs in Pakistan, the UAE can only assume its responsibility and maintain its neutrality,” Al-Abed stated, according to the Emirates News Agency (WAM).
Private television news channels in Pakistan have been blacked out since Nov 3 when President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency in the country. However, from Friday, two channels — DAWN News and AAJ — were back on air, with AAJ announcing that two of its most popular talk shows were suspended temporarily.
Meanwhile, executive director of Dubai Media City Amina Al Rustamani has said it would observe the foreign policy of the country.
“As an entity within the UAE, Dubai Media City would also observe the broadcast principles of the country’s foreign policy and prevent the telecast of news and material that would undermine those principles,” she said while noting that Geo and ARY are respected business partners in Dubai Media City for several years.
“Our relationship with them has been strong and friendly. We are in discussion with them in regard to the telecast of their news components and are confident we will resolve this matter in the best way possible to protect their interests and those of the UAE,” she said.