Pakistan TV blocked over Zardari shoe-throwing

Pakistan TV channels trying to report the incident in which shoes were thrown at the country's president, Asif Ali Zardari, in Birmingham at the weekend were censored.

GEO TV and ARY News had just aired the story on Sunday when their broadcasts were blocked, sparking widespread protests on either side of the issue.

When some cable operators refused to obey the ban, gunmen fired at their staff and offices. The offices of two cable operators in Karachi were set ablaze by pro-Zardari activists when operators refused to shut down transmissions of feeds from GEO TV and ARY News.

Newspapers that carried the story, such as Jang and The News were burned.

The broadcasting bans affected news coverage and information about the relief efforts in response to the floods disaster.

more:http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/greenslade/2010/aug/12/press-freedom-asif-ali-zardari