Afghan leader says he backs ban on hit Indian soaps

0 Comments | AFP, April, 2008

KABUL (AFP) — Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai defended a decision by his government to ban a handful of Indian soap operas, saying they violated his nation's moral standards and culture.

The culture ministry has given several privately run television stations until Tuesday to stop showing certain popular serials based on tales of love, disputes and the daily lives of Indian Hindu families.

At least one has already been taken off air after the ban, which authorities say was prompted by a call from religious scholars who labelled the shows "un-Islamic".

Asked about the move, Karzai told a media briefing his government was committed to media freedom.

But, "like the rest of the countries in the world, we want our television broadcasting to be in...