Private channel suspended in Pakistan for 15 days over sectarian content

Lead

Pakistan’s electronic media regulator has suspended the private news channel Geo News for 15 days over a special transmission aired during the Islamic month of Muharram that it said was liable to hurt religious sentiments. The broadcaster has apologised, describing the incident as an editorial error.

The suspension, announced on Saturday, came after the channel aired content that depicted rituals practiced by a limited number of people in Iraq and some other Middle Eastern countries, according to Geo News’s own statement. The channel said the content had been transmitted during its 10th Muharram broadcast, which marks Ashura, a day of mourning observed by Shia Muslims.

Coverage comparison

The suspension was reported by Dawn, Deutsche Welle, and The Hindu — World, all of which noted that the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) had acted with immediate effect. Dawn’s reporting focused on the formal regulatory order, detailing the sections of the PEMRA Ordinance under which the action was taken. Deutsche Welle’s coverage highlighted Geo News’s apology and provided context about Pakistan’s strict blasphemy laws and its ranking in press freedom indexes. The Hindu — World described the content as “controversial sectarian content” and noted that it depicted certain Shiite rituals during the Ashura broadcast.

All three sources agree on the core facts: PEMRA suspended Geo News for 15 days, the suspension was due to the airing of content that could offend religious sentiments, and Geo News acknowledged its mistake and apologised. However, the precise nature of the ritual shown was not fully clarified in any of the reports, with Geo News itself saying only that it showed “certain rituals practiced by a limited number of people in Iraq and some other Middle Eastern countries.”

Key claims

• Pakistan’s media regulator, PEMRA, suspended Geo News’s licence for 15 days with immediate effect, according to all three outlets. The order, issued under Section 30 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002, said the broadcast “constitutes a serious regulatory concern” due to religious, cultural and social sensitivities.

• The suspension was triggered by a special transmission aired during Muharram. Dawn reported that PEMRA’s order cited the channel’s failure to comply with sections 20(b), (c), (d) and (f) of the ordinance, which require licensees to preserve national, cultural and religious values and to ensure programmes do not contain or encourage religious discrimination or sectarianism. The order also noted inconsistency with a June 15 directive regarding observance of the holy month.

• Geo News acknowledged the error. In a statement reported by all three outlets, the channel said it apologised for the content and that it “was neither produced by Geo News nor was its broadcast carried out with any intention or purpose.” Deutsche Welle quoted the channel as saying it had acknowledged an “editorial error.”

• PEMRA referred the matter to its Council of Complaints for examination and recommendations, and directed Geo News to conduct an internal inquiry into the editorial, monitoring and compliance lapses. The channel was asked to submit its recommendations and details of corrective and preventive measures, as reported by Dawn and The Hindu.

• The broadcast depicted rituals associated with a segment of Shia Muslims. Deutsche Welle explained that some members of Iraq’s Shia community perform plays and processions depicting early Islamic figures, a practice discouraged by scholars from the Sunni sect. The report also noted that most Pakistanis are Sunni, while around 10% are Shia, and that tensions between the two groups have led to clashes in the past.

• Pakistan has strict blasphemy laws that have at times stirred vigilante violence, as noted by Deutsche Welle. The same report placed Pakistan 158th out of 180 countries on the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index in 2025.

Perspectives

PEMRA: The regulator justified its decision on the grounds of maintaining public order and religious sensitivities. It said the broadcast was “liable to hurt the religious sentiments of viewers” and posed “a risk of disturbance to public peace.” The order suspended Geo News’s licence for 15 days and directed an internal inquiry.

Geo News: The channel apologised and called the incident an “editorial error.” It said the content was not produced by the channel and that it had no intention to cause offense, while also acknowledging that the program showed certain rituals practiced by a limited number of people in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries.