Pemra Suspends Geo News License for 15 Days Over Religious Content

Pakistan's electronic media regulator, Pemra, has suspended the license of Geo News for 15 days, citing a special transmission that allegedly hurt religious sentiments. The order, issued on June 28, stated the suspension was effective immediately.

Pemra's monitoring wing identified the broadcast as a "serious regulatory concern" due to religious, cultural, and social sensitivities. The content was found inconsistent with the Pemra Ordinance, which mandates licensees to preserve national, cultural, social, and religious values and avoid religious discrimination.

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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.

Geo News issued an apology, acknowledging a "mistake" in airing the content, which depicted rituals practiced by a limited number of people in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries. The channel clarified that the purpose was not to endorse any religious viewpoint and that the content did not reflect its editorial position. Pemra has referred the matter to its Council of Complaints for further recommendations and has directed Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry into the lapses that led to the broadcast.

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We wish to clarify that Geo News remains firmly committed to its policy of respecting the widely accepted beliefs and sensitivities of the Muslim Ummah. The inclusion of such content does not reflect our editorial position or the ideology of the organisation.