“We have received a letter from the Cabinet Division, Government of Pakistan, asking them to stop various payment methods, including credit cards, to subscribe to Indian content in Pakistan, including Zee5 video-on-demand service, the circular released on Nov 9. The circular said In this regard, it is best to ensure diligent conformity by the Government of Pakistan with the above directions and to apply compliance status to PSD, SBP by 13 November.” Absar Alam, former president of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), told Dawn that Indian media is already banned in Pakistan, so that online payments for the Direct to Home (DTH) service could be hit by the latest circular, adding that those with DTH facilities often use Indian content and make online payments. The electronic media authority requested the Indian video-on-demand platform Zee5, which broadcasted the show, to bring down the serial for Pakistani viewers, according to the BBC. Initially, the platform only adhered with the instructions to restore it later. When Pemra banned it in Pakistan after a backlash over a clip that went viral on social media, the show ran into controversy.
