ISLAMABAD: Geo News said on Wednesday it had dismissed the employees responsible for producing and approving a controversial Muharram documentary that led to the suspension of the channel’s transmission for 15 days last week.
The development comes days after the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) suspended Geo News’ license and transmission over a Muharram program that the regulator said contained “religious visualization” liable to hurt viewers’ religious sentiments, undermine religious harmony and disturb public order. The regulator also directed the broadcaster to conduct an internal inquiry and present its findings before PEMRA’s Council of Complaints.
Geo News has apologized and issued a statement on Sunday saying the material had been aired in error and did not reflect the channel’s editorial position or beliefs. It said the footage showed rituals practiced by some people in Iraq and the Middle East and was intended to show local customs, not endorse any religious view.
“Geo News informed PEMRA’s Council of Complaints that the individuals responsible for producing the sensitive documentary and previewing it have been dismissed from their jobs,” the broadcaster said in a report published on its website on Wednesday.
It said that during proceedings before the Council of Complaints, Supreme Court lawyer Saim Hashmi, representing the license-holder company, “unconditionally acknowledged the management’s mistake and also offered an unconditional apology.”
According to Geo News, its management submitted documents to the council showing that an immediate internal inquiry had been conducted after the broadcast.
The inquiry resulted in the dismissal of the person responsible for producing the documentary and the member of the editorial committee who had previewed it before it aired, Geo News said, adding that it had introduced additional editorial safeguards to prevent similar incidents.
“To minimize the possibility of such mistakes in the future, Geo News management has decided to include an Islamic scholar in its editorial committee who will review sensitive religious content before broadcast and help prevent similar mistakes,” the report said.
PEMRA announced the 15-day suspension last week after finding that Geo News had aired “religious visualization” during a June 26 transmission. The regulator said the content was liable to hurt religious sentiments, undermine religious harmony and pose a risk to public peace and order.
As part of its order, PEMRA referred the matter to its Council of Complaints for further proceedings, including consideration of any additional regulatory action, and directed Geo News to submit the findings of its internal inquiry along with details of corrective and preventive measures.
Depictions of the Prophet Muhammed (pbuh) and other revered Islamic figures are a highly charged issue in Pakistan, where mass protests have broken out over cartoons published in Western countries.
Religious disputes can quickly trigger public anger in the Muslim-majority country, where authorities impose heightened security during Muharram commemorations.
Geo News, one of Pakistan’s largest private television channels, has said the content in question has been removed from all its platforms.
