Pemra suspends Geo Entertainment, ARY News licenses

E-Paper | May 03, 2026

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) announced on Friday that the licenses of private TV channels Geo Entertainment and ARY News are to be suspended, DawnNews reported.

Geo Entertainment has been slapped with a one month suspension along with a Rs10 million fine, while the license of ARY News will be suspended for 15 days and a similar fine imposed.

The notice by Pemra stated that the regulatory body took "serious notice of violations by Geo Entertainment and ARY News".

It said that it had ordered the "immediate suspension of the license of Geo Entertainment for 30 days, and a Rs10 million fine".

Similarly, it added that the authorities had decided to "immediately suspend ARY News for 15 days, and impose a fine of Rs 10 million."

Pemra said that Geo Entertainment had its license suspended over airing blasphemous content on one of its shows.

ARY News was handed the license suspension over complaints that it had made slanderous statements against the judiciary on one of its shows.

This is the second suspension faced by a television channel owned by the Geo TV network. Geo News was previously suspended for 15 days by Pemra in an order issued on June 6, 2014.

In a message posted on social media Geo News said that it's broadcast would be effectively restored at 12:AM on Saturday as it had completed its 15-day suspension period.

Our readers are at the heart of everything we do.
Do you have a thought to share or a way we can improve? We’d love to hear it. Reach out to us at feedback@dawn.com.

Pakistan

PM Shehbaz calls on Nawaz, discusses political situation in country, steps taken for peace in Middle East

Policeman gunned down near his home in KP's Lakki Marwat

2 men, including social activist, killed in separate attacked in KP's Bajaur

Israr Khan Ismailzai

Jun 20, 2014 11:10pm

ARY, why??? This is revenge for their coverage of model town incident. If this is not dictatorship, then I don't know what is.

Recommend 0

salman

Jun 20, 2014 11:17pm

This is ridiculous. ARY is being massacred just like the lahore protesters were massacred on Shareef brothers orders.

Recommend 0

Tahir Amjad

Jun 20, 2014 11:21pm

I appreciate this decision as Pakistani people's will get respite from this ongoing nonsense media war between these channels. This war had made hostage to the whole nation.

Recommend 0

zahid

Jun 20, 2014 11:22pm

it looks not fair but these steps are necessary to keep all the institutions and organizations in their legal orbit.

Recommend 0

mujtaba

Jun 20, 2014 11:25pm

Good

Recommend 0

Fahad

Jun 20, 2014 11:32pm

Very bold step. These so called 4th pillar of state should be regulated. We can not bear any thing against our Army and Judiciary. Respect our institutes.

Recommend 0

Umer

Jun 20, 2014 11:39pm

Why not no suspension on ARY, Dunya and Express etc. for airing the video again and again????????? If plea is only religion, several religious scholars have already told that if GEO has done wrong by airing it initially, the on'es who are showing it again and again without any statement of apology or sorry, those are doing much it much wrong???

Recommend 0

Mekal Faruki

Jun 20, 2014 11:45pm

PEMRA should file criminal FIRs against the offender "journalists" for criminal libel and slander. Put the criminals in jail.

Recommend 0

nadeem

Jun 20, 2014 11:51pm

Superb decision. Let Mubashar Lucman go & learn ethics. What a shame he is in the name of journalist/ so called anchor.

Recommend 0

USMAN

Jun 20, 2014 11:51pm

Sad Day for freedom of speach , What is Noon League doing, it seem last nail in the cofin of liberty , we should be ready for further steps against free speach, I am speachless!

Recommend 0

Farooq Usman

Jun 21, 2014 12:00am

Geo PEMRA!

Recommend 0

S Rizwan

Jun 21, 2014 12:00am

This ARY thing started before the tragedy..The problem with us is that now we want to connect everything that is happening to PML N! We always need a scapegoat!

Recommend 0

Adnan

Jun 21, 2014 12:05am

No matter, how much I dislike what they did. We should not shut down the TV channel. A hefty fine should be good enough. Even that needs to be only imposed after a exhaustive process to ensure that no unnecessary restriction is imposed. Also, I don

Recommend 0

Hussain

Jun 21, 2014 12:08am

Rule number one never pick a fight with the mullana shaibs and rule number two never pick a fight with the media so bye bye Sharif bros it was nice knowing you.

Recommend 0

Zackariya

Jun 21, 2014 12:55am

If ARY has made any negative remarks against the judiciary that doesn't mean you shut the channel down. Judiciary is no sacred institution bestowed upon us by God, its run by people like you and me who most likely may even have acted in sinister ways for their own benefit. If ARY's allegations against the judiciary was legitimate then it needs to be heard. The Judiciary is being paid by the People of Pakistan and we don't mind knowing if something is wrong with one of the institutions we are paying for! -ThisSystemHasGottaGo

Recommend 0

Israr Khan Ismailzai

Jun 21, 2014 12:56am

So what happened to the freedom of speech?? Just for a second think if this was done by Mushrraf, oh man, that would be considered an attack of democracy, he would have been declared a dictator, etc. What a shame.

Recommend 0

Aisha

Jun 21, 2014 01:17am

All I can say for ary is that what goes around comes around.

Recommend 0

Mateen

Jun 21, 2014 01:18am

The government can stop ARY from operating but they can't stop the nation from seeing and remembering their deceit.

Recommend 0

Rizwan

Jun 21, 2014 01:41am

PEMRA gone bonkers why have they gone after ARY .If you speek for the country this is what you get .

Recommend 0

adeel

Jun 21, 2014 02:17am

All Media channels including ARY Express and Dunya should be completely banned. Because Media channels on the name of Live news & talk shows is spreading chaos & hatred in the country. Private channels should only show entertainment and thats it.

Recommend 0

Syed Ahmed

Jun 21, 2014 03:16am

@Mekal Faruki : Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Recommend 0

Syed Ahmed

Jun 21, 2014 03:17am

@nadeem The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.

Recommend 0

viney mehra

Jun 21, 2014 05:01am

By stopping information ,information never stops but wrong information spreads .Let people be the judge .Pakistan refuses to learn from its mistakes .People of pakistan are paying huge price .

Recommend 0

unbelievable

Jun 21, 2014 05:32am

So Freedom of Press is only Free if you don't print/say anything that remotely criticizes the ISI - that about sum it up?

Recommend 0

Aysha

Jun 21, 2014 07:52am

Its nothing but power game.

Recommend 0

Talha

Jun 21, 2014 09:42am

The reason why ARY's license was suspended is that Tahir ul Qadri is coming on 23 June and ARY has been giving Tahir ul Qadri a lot of air time. I am neither a fan of ARY or Tahir Ul Qadri but I think the Lahore incident was pretty bad and ARY didn't deserve the suspension. If the Supreme Court has cleared Mubashir Lucman and his show then why does PEMRA have to go all powerful on ARY.

Recommend 0

Amir ismail

Jun 21, 2014 10:45am

Mubashir Luqman is a great anchor ARY news is with people of Pakistan and they talk about people Shame on Pemra PMLN is doing all this and taking revenge

Recommend 0

Moiz Omar

Jun 21, 2014 01:54pm

Freedom of speech in Pakistan takes another loss.

Recommend 0

Shshif

Jun 21, 2014 03:44pm

Dear readers In my humble opinion, we have badly failed to create a responsible society. Ideologically, we have absurd and unrealistic believes system in place. Consequntly, we couldnt a common ground for ideas to be acceptable. Resultatly we coukdnt develop autonomous institutions to run the county. In my humble opinion, we need to revisit our constitution and find a practical way for its Implementation in every walk of Life. Thank you for reading.

Recommend 0

Malikpur Janderbari Abbottabad

Jun 22, 2014 12:18pm

The entire media is defamed by people like Mubashar Luqman, these are not journalist they are intruder in media industry. ARY must be banned for creating chaos in the country..... this channels is anti-state as in all their programs they instigate public not to respect law and fight with law enforcement agencies. They are weakening our society must be banned forever!

Recommend 0

Javed

Jun 23, 2014 06:10am

Ban geo for life.

Recommend 0

AKA

Jun 23, 2014 01:17pm

@Farooq Usman: Or perhaps "Geo's PEMRA"

Recommend 0

umair

Jun 23, 2014 01:52pm

This blasphemy thing has become a convenient excuse to settle personal scores.

Recommend 0

syed hassan haseeb

Jun 24, 2014 02:25am

what ever ARY has said regarding the relative judge of geo owners I have seen that program . there was nothing in that program what has been the role of judges in last five years . this is far away from justice. pemra is tool in the hands of this govt they are playing with it only pleasing goe owners how are bosses for this govt.

Recommend 0

nasir

Jun 24, 2014 02:58am

what a bunch of croc. Musharaff opened the media so people can see what is going on in their country. Here is a democratically elected official who is slapping media to shutdown

Recommend 0

Branded Content

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa expands climate action with one Million Tree Drive and forest reforms

The province is turning policy into action through a series of large scale programmes aimed at rebuilding ecosystems and improving resilience against rising climate pressures.

Taptap Send, Arshad Nadeem partner to highlight Pakistan’s unsung champions

The initiative comes at a time when cricket continues to dominate national attention, often overshadowing achievements in other sports.

NexGen Auto (Nishat Group) to Introduce iCAUR in Pakistan

As one of Pakistan’s leading business groups, Nishat Group operates across key sectors including textiles, cement, banking, insurance, power and agriculture.