Pakistan watchdog suspends Geo News for 15 days over 'offensive' religious broadcast regarding Muharram
Total Views |
Pakistan's media watchdog has imposed a 15-day ban on Geo News, one of the country's largest broadcasters, citing "blasphemous" content. The suspension was ordered by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) after a Geo News programme that aired during Muharram featured religious visualisations that could 'offend public sentiment and threaten religious harmony'.
The broadcaster maintained that this lapse did not represent its editorial stance or beliefs. It said the controversial footage had been pulled immediately, an internal review had been launched, and it would now add extra layers of oversight, staff training and compliance checks to prevent similar incidents.
PEMRA, in April 2026, issued a show-cause notice to Geo News for airing Indian songs and video clips while reporting on the passing of legendary singer Asha Bhosle. The broadcast sparked a cross-border controversy and reignited debates over artistic expression versus strict state-enforced media censorship.
The ban arrives as Pakistan continues to draw international criticism over press freedom. Local TV channels have repeatedly faced regulatory penalties, suspensions and broadcast restrictions, often coinciding with periods of political unrest. Reporters Without Borders placed Pakistan 153rd out of 180 nations in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index.
The regulator pointed specifically to a 26 June episode of Safar-e-Ishq, part of the channel's special Muharram coverage, which it said contained visuals capable of "hurting the religious sentiments of viewers, undermining religious harmony, and creating a risk of disturbance to public peace, tranquillity and law and order."
Geo news employees in Karachi, Pakistan (Reuters)
Geo News responded to the event by calling the broadcast an editorial mistake and issuing a public apology. The channel explained that the footage showed rituals practised by a small number of people in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, and said its intent had been purely to document local customs rather than promote any specific religious viewpoint.
The broadcaster maintained that this lapse did not represent its editorial stance or beliefs. It said the controversial footage had been pulled immediately, an internal review had been launched, and it would now add extra layers of oversight, staff training and compliance checks to prevent similar incidents.
This isn't the first regulatory trouble for the channel this year; in May, PEMRA had already sent it a show-cause notice over content involving Asha Bhosle.'
PEMRA, in April 2026, issued a show-cause notice to Geo News for airing Indian songs and video clips while reporting on the passing of legendary singer Asha Bhosle. The broadcast sparked a cross-border controversy and reignited debates over artistic expression versus strict state-enforced media censorship.
The ban arrives as Pakistan continues to draw international criticism over press freedom. Local TV channels have repeatedly faced regulatory penalties, suspensions and broadcast restrictions, often coinciding with periods of political unrest. Reporters Without Borders placed Pakistan 153rd out of 180 nations in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index.