Geo News goes dark for 15 days after controversial Muharram telecast

In an order issued to the Chief Executive Officer of Independent Media Corporation (IMC) on June 28, Pemra said the licence issued to IMC for Geo News had been suspended for 15 days, according to Dawn News.

The action relates to a programme titled 'Safar-i-Ishq', which was aired during the channel's special Muharram transmission on June 26.

Issued under Section 30 of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002, the order stated that the broadcast constituted a "serious regulatory concern" in view of the religious, cultural and social sensitivities surrounding the content, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

Pemra further directed that Geo News' transmission remain suspended across satellite services and all distribution networks and platforms for the duration of the ban. It instructed all distribution service licensees and operators to ensure immediate compliance with the order.

The regulator also ordered Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry into the editorial, monitoring and compliance failures that led to the broadcast. The channel has been asked to submit the inquiry findings, along with recommendations and details of corrective and preventive measures, during a hearing before the authority.

Geo News issues apology

Meanwhile, Geo News has acknowledged what it described as an editorial error in content aired during its 10th Muharram special transmission.

In a statement, the channel said, "The purpose of this clarification is not to justify the incident, but to acknowledge it honestly, explain the actions taken, and reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that such an incident never happens again."

It further added, "What happened was wrong. We do not seek to defend, minimise, or rationalise it. We sincerely regret that this material was broadcast."