BOL Network

BOL Network

·        Introduction

BOL Network (Urdu: بول نیٹ ورک‎) could be a media conglomerate primarily based in Karachi owned by Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh, United Nations agency conjointly served because the corporate executive and chairman of the media network. According to Declan Walsh Bol Network was underneath the auspices of the faux sheepskin mill Ax act. The media cluster was alleged to incorporate tv, digital media, cinema and theater as well as digital media, however once the parent company of Bol, Ax act, was unmasked as a sheepskin mill merchandising faux degrees Asian country Electronic Media regulatory agency revoked the license that it had awarded BOL, and also the network wasn't even ready to begin transmission. Pakistani journalist Kamran Khan was appointed because the editor in chief, however he quit once the Axact scandal surfaced and explicit that his conscience failed to let him be affiliated with such a network.

·       History

·       Initial Start

The BOL Network was started by Pakistani man of affairs, Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh in Gregorian calendar month 2013, and in keeping with him, it was meant to create an independent media house to portray a soft image of Asian country and a number of other notable journalists joined the network at that point.

Bol TV claims to get on the Centrist/Left of Centre of the political spectrum however with a powerful pro-nationalist outlook.

It claims to have offered insurance of up to Rs. 10 million to cable operators. In 2014, BOL Network advertised on more than 20,000 public transport vehicles in Pakistan. The company also announced a television set brand by the name of BG.

·       Media personnel

During the first phases of Bol, several outstanding media personnel joined the network. These enclosed Nabeel Zafar, Zeba Shehnaz and Haider imaum Rizvi United Nations agency joined the amusement channel. Kamran Khan, Mubasher Lucman, Jasmeen Manzoor and Iftikhar Ahmed were reportedly a part of the Bol News channel. However, all of them resigned once the Axact scandal unmasked the corporate as a scam and a fraud.

·       Locations and infrastructure

The head workplace is found in urban center and referred to as Bolistan.  The network's regional headquarters within the provinces area unit in Lahore and Islamabad. BOL Network, conjointly operated their own DSNG vans and when the parent company, Axact, was raided by FBR in connection with fake degrees and money laundering, Bol Network used its DSNG vans to create a barricade and stop journalists from approaching the building. When the Axact scandal came to light reliable sources informed the Federal Board of Revenue that most of the equipment utilized by Bol network had been foreign illicitly. A notice was served to the CEO under Section 26 of the Customs Act 1969 and he was ordered to submit proof that the equipment being used had been imported using legal means.

·       Programming

List of Programme Broadcast by BOL Entertainment

Controversies

Axact Scandal

Main article: Axact

·       Initial raids and indictments

On seventeen might 2015, The big apple Times revealed Associate in Nursing inquiring story reportage that Axact ran a minimum of 370 degree and certification mill websites. When Axact offices were raided by the FIA at the within minister's orders, several compromising documents were recovered, including fake letterhead of the US State Department. Subsequently, Axact was sealed on May 28, 2015 and the Information ministry requested PEMRA to close down BOL. On May 26, 2015, Federal Investigation Agency arrested Shoaib Ahmed Shaikh for investigation. The case was filed against him on might twenty seven, 2015 in city, Pakistan. The same day he was ordered to submit "copy of the letter of credit, contract or proof of payment in support of the transactions and also the supply of finance for the procurance of the foreign goods" because the FBR had received intelligence that Bol was victimization illegal equipment.on 5 June 2015, Ayesha Sheikh, the wife of Bol CEO Shoib Sheikh was indicted on charges of money laundering in connected with Axact and Bol.

·       Resignation of media personnel

Bol was aggressive in recruiting media personnel once the network was in development. However, once it came to light-weight that the network was being run through amerceable means that and was a part of a scam they were fast to depart. While Kamran Khan tweeted that his conscience would not let him continue, Iftikhar Ahmad wrote “cannot work for an organization whose basic workings conflict with my professional commitment.” Asma Shirazi resigned and denote on Twitter, “I have resigned from Bol News. Truth must prevail.”

·       Post Axact Scandal Acquisition

After the suspension of the BOL Network and BOL News there was a mass exodus of journalists and different media personnel from the company. However ARY Digital Network CEO Salman Iqbal offered to require over the beleaguered company in August 2015. He explicit that the choice had been taken in sight to supply career protection to media business and its staff.The founder of ARY Group said that his media group would launch the transmission of the channel inside 3 weeks.On September 30, 2015, it was announced that the deal between the owners of BOL and ARY Digital Network had fallen through.

·       Denial of access to Axact databases and offices

Both Bol and Axact have been petitioning to be granted access to databases maintained by Axact. However FIA declined to allow them access. On 12 April 2016 the Supreme court of Pakistan rejected the plea entered by Bol and Axact administration which requested that they be granted access to their databases and offices. The 3 judges of the bench ascertained that such access won't be provided till the investigation into the sheepskin mill scams, forgery and other allegations has been completed.

·       Inter-Services Intelligence connection

On October 15, 2013, the Hindustan Times reported that the entry of BOL media electronic player was backed by the ISI, which sparked controversy.