Karachi
(Reuters):
Authorities
in
Karachi
have
ordered
the
removal
of
billboards
showing
Indian
film
star
amitabh
bachchan
in
front
of
Pakistan's
flag
to
promote
a
television
quiz
show
opening
on
the
country's
independence
day.
''We
are
not
enemies
of
Mr
Bachchan.
But
his
picture
on
our
national
flag
was
an
objectionable
act
and
we
ordered
them
to
remove
his
picture
from
the
flag,''
Mirza
Asif
Baig,
a
local
government
official
told
Reuters
today.
''This
place
is
reserved
only
for
our
own
heroes,''
he
added.
Telefun,
a
private
call-in
entertainment
company,
had
posted
the
giant
billboards
round
the
city
to
promote
a
quiz
show
along
the
lines
of
an
Indian
version
of
the
US
quiz
show
''Who
Wants
To
Be
A
Millionaire''
hosted
by
Bachchan.
The
billboards
said
the
show
would
be
aired
from
August
14
-
the
day
Pakistan
celebrates
independence
from
Britain
and
partition
from
India.
Abdul
Qadir,
Telefun's
marketing
manager,
said
the
company
was
complying
with
the
authorities'
directive.
''We
have
already
started
disassociating
Bachchan's
picture
from
the
national
flag,''
Qadir
said.
''It
was
a
mistake.''
Qadir
said
Telefun
had
used
Bachchan's
image
because
of
the
similar
format
of
the
programme
in
the
two
countries.
Bachchan
is
regarded
as
the
most
famous
living
Indian
movie
star
and
is
popular
on
both
sides
of
the
border,
although
there
is
a
long-standing
ban
on
screening
of
Indian
films
in
cinema
halls
in
Pakistan.
Indian
films
are
easily
available,
however,
on
pirated
CDs
and
are
also
aired
on
cable
television
channels
in
Pakistan.