ISLAMABAD: Hours before Geo News’s 15-day punishment was about to end, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) struck again — unexpectedly — to suspend the operating licences of Geo Entertainment and ARY News.

The two channels have also been fined Rs10 million each.

The decision was made at a Pemra board meeting on Friday during which, according to a press release, “the authority deliberated upon the matter of violations committed by Geo Entertainment and ARY News.”

It appears that the meeting ended late after which the authority issued directives to all its field offices “to implement the decisions of the Authority in letter and spirit with immediate effect”.

Geo Entertainment has been penalised for the controversial content that it aired in a morning show last month.

As a result, Pemra banned the programme “Utho Jago Pakistan” and barred its host Shaista Lodhi from conducting any show.

An official of Pemra told Dawn the action against the programme “Utho Jago Pakistan”, its entire team including host Ms Shaista Lodhi and producer etc has been taken on the recommendations of the Council of Complaints (COC) Karachi.

The COC was held in Karachi last month where it had considered more than 6,000 complaints against the Geo Entertainment programme and its host for airing controversial content.

Pemra also banned the re-broadcast of this programme on any channel.

In addition, the Pemra board meeting also discussed the issue of ARY News and its programme “Khara Such”, which is hosted by Mubashir Luqman.

Action was taken against the host and the programme for airing a contemptuous and malicious campaign against the judiciary.

A government official explained that a number of complaints had been received against the programme and its host for the discussing judiciary. Acting on these complaints, the channel was fined as well as the programme and the host banned.

“Regarding the violations committed by ARY News, the Authority unanimously decided to immediately suspend the licence of ARY News for 15 days and impose a fine of Rs10 million,” Pemra said in its press release.

Under the law, the management of the channels or the hosts banned by Pemra can approach the high courts against the decision of the authority.

The Geo News started returning to television screens after Friday midnight upon the completion of its 15-day suspension.

Published in Dawn, June 21st, 2014