ISLAMABAD: Geo News said its transmission resumed on Sunday after a 15-day suspension order, issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for airing a Muharram documentary that it said was capable of offending people, expired.
PEMRA suspended Geo News’ license for 15 days on June 27 after it aired a special Muharram program a day earlier. The Pakistani media regulator said the transmission included “religious visualization” capable of hurting people’s sentiments, undermining religious harmony and disturbing public order.
The channel subsequently issued an unconditional public apology, dismissed employees involved in producing the program, and introduced additional editorial safeguards. It said the material broadcast during the Muharram transmission had been aired in error and depicted rituals practiced by some people in Iraq and the Middle East rather than endorsing any particular religious belief.
“Geo News’ transmission resumed on Sunday as the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) upheld its previous order to suspend the broadcaster’s license for 15 days over the 10th Muharram documentary,” Geo News reported on its website.
The channel was referring to PEMRA’s order issued on Saturday night, in which it upheld its 15-day suspension of the news channel. PEMRA also imposed a Rs10 million ($35,800) fine on the broadcaster.
“Transmission may resume only upon completion of the suspension period and payment of the fine,” a copy of the order seen by Arab News read.
The regulator said it had taken into account the broadcaster’s admission of negligence, expression of remorse and unconditional public apology but concluded that those factors, while mitigating, did not erase the violation or its legal consequences.
It also directed Geo News to terminate those responsible for the broadcast, adding that individuals dismissed over the violation would, subject to applicable law, be ineligible for future employment, engagement or association with any service licensed or regulated by the authority.
PEMRA further ordered the broadcaster to submit an affidavit confirming compliance with its directions and warned that any repeat violation could result in enhanced penalties, suspension or revocation of its license.
The decision also instructed all licensed broadcasters to establish impartial in-house monitoring committees or editorial boards, notify the regulator of their composition and ensure prior editorial scrutiny of every broadcast.
Geo News, one of Pakistan’s largest private television channels, has said the documentary has been removed from all its platforms.
