Pakistan's media regulator has suspended the licence and transmission of Geo News for 15 days over a Muharram programme that it said contained "religious visualisation" capable of hurting viewers' religious sentiments, Arab News reported.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) announced the decision in a notice issued on Saturday, saying the action followed the broadcast of a programme titled Safar-e-Ishq during Geo News' special Ashura (Muharram 10) transmission.
PEMRA said the programme featured visual representations that constituted a "serious regulatory concern". According to the regulator, the content was liable to offend religious sentiments, undermine religious harmony and create a "risk of disturbance" to public peace, tranquillity and law and order.
"The licence issued to M/s Independent Media Corporation (Pvt.) Ltd. for Geo News is suspended for a period of fifteen (15) days, with immediate effect from the issuance of this order," the notice dated 27 June said.
The regulator directed that Geo News' transmission be suspended across satellite services and all distribution networks and platforms during the ban. It also instructed distribution service licensees and operators to implement the order immediately.
PEMRA said it had referred the matter to its Council of Complaints for examination and recommendations, including whether further regulatory action should be taken. It also ordered Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry into the editorial, monitoring and compliance failures that led to the broadcast and submit its findings, together with details of corrective and preventive measures, to the council.
Religious issues remain highly sensitive in Pakistan, where regulators closely scrutinise television broadcasts that could inflame sectarian tensions or offend religious beliefs. Geo News, launched more than 20 years ago, is one of Pakistan's most-watched private Urdu-language news channels and has covered elections, political crises, militancy, natural disasters and other major national events throughout its history.