KARACHI: The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Saturday suspended with “immediate effect” the licence of Geo News for 15 days over the airing of a “religious visualisation” that the watchdog said was “liable to hurt the religious sentiments of viewers”.
In an order addressed to the chief executive officer of Independent Media Corporation (IMC) on June 28, Pemra said the licence issued to IMC for “Geo News was suspended for a period of 15 days with immediate effect.”
The regulator took notice of a broadcast titled ‘Safar-i-Ishq’, which aired during the channel’s special transmission for Muharram 10, on June 26.
Issued under Section 30 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002, the order citing the authority’s monitoring wing said that the broadcast of Geo News’ special transmission “constitutes a serious regulatory concern” due to religious, cultural and social sensitivities.
Channel apologises for broadcasting material that could hurt religious sentiments
Pemra noted in its order that the aired content was inconsistent with the obligations of a licensee under sections 20(b), (c), (d) and (f) of the Pemra Ordinance.
Section 20(b) mandates a licensee to ensure the preservation of “national, cultural, social and religious values and the principles of public policy as enshrined in the Constitution”, while Section 20(c) orders ensuring that “all programmes and advertisements do not contain or encourage” religious discrimination or sectarianism, among other themes.
Pemra noted that the matter was “also inconsistent” with its June 15 directive regarding ‘Observance of Sanctity of the Holy Month of Muharramul Haram’.
As per the order, the transmission of Geo News will remain suspended on satellite and all distribution networks and platforms for the said period, with all distribution service licensees and operators directed to ensure immediate compliance with the Pemra order.
Additionally, Pemra referred the matter to its Council of Complaints for “examination, hearing and furnishing of appropriate recommendations, including consideration of further regulatory action, if so warranted under law”.
The regulatory body also directed Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry into the editorial, monitoring and compliance lapses leading to the broadcasting of the content, and to submit its recommendations to the Council, along with details of corrective and preventative measures during a hearing.
Channel issues apology
In a statement, Geo News acknowledged its mistake, saying that the content was removed after the organisation realised the error, before any formal complaint was lodged.
“This content depicted certain rituals adopted by a limited number of people in Iraq and some other Middle Eastern countries. The content merely reflected these local rituals, and its purpose was not to represent, endorse, or promote any broader religious point of view. This content was neither produced by Geo News nor was its broadcast carried out with any intention or purpose,” the broadcaster said.
It said that a formal inquiry had been initiated and show case notices had been issued to those responsible for the lapse, adding that action would be taken in accordance with the organisation’s policies.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2026
