As Geo News returns, PEMRA signals tougher era for Pakistan's broadcasters

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 12 July 2026 |  JP Staff Report

PEMRA upheld its suspension of Geo News and imposed a Rs10m fine over a Muharram program; Geo resumed transmission after 15 days. The regulator ordered TV licensees to set up in-house editorial boards to strengthen oversight.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Geo News resumed transmission shortly after midnight on Sunday following the completion of a 15-day suspension, but the lasting significance of the case extends well beyond one television channel.

In a detailed final ruling issued on Saturday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) upheld its decision to suspend Geo News over the broadcast of the Muharram program Safar-e-Ishq, while introducing a series of directives that could reshape editorial oversight and compliance practices across Pakistan's television industry.

The regulator concluded that the program's religious depictions constituted a serious violation of broadcasting regulations, despite acknowledging the channel's admission of negligence, expression of remorse, and unconditional public apology.

While those factors were treated as mitigating circumstances, PEMRA ruled they neither erased the violation nor exempted the broadcaster from legal consequences.

Geo News was permitted to resume transmission only after completing the 15-day suspension, which ended at midnight on July 12, and upon payment of a Rs10 million fine.

A case with industry-wide consequences

Perhaps the most consequential aspect of PEMRA's decision is that it reaches beyond Geo News.

The regulator has directed all television licensees to establish impartial and competent in-house monitoring committees or editorial boards responsible for scrutinizing content before it is broadcast. Channels must submit details of these bodies to PEMRA and strengthen internal editorial oversight to prevent future violations.

The Authority also announced that it will separately instruct broadcasters to ensure strict compliance with the Supreme Court of Pakistan's judgment in Suo Motu Case No. 28 of 2018 (PLD 2019 SC 1), signaling closer regulatory scrutiny of editorial standards.

PEMRA warned that future violations of a similar nature could invite even stricter legal action, including cancellation of a broadcaster's license.

Accountability extends to newsroom staff

The ruling also places responsibility on individuals involved in editorial decision-making.

PEMRA directed Geo News management to complete disciplinary proceedings against those responsible for the broadcast and dismiss them in accordance with applicable regulations.

It further ruled that anyone dismissed under those proceedings would be barred from working, directly or indirectly, for any PEMRA-licensed, registered, or authorized media service.

The decision represents one of the strongest regulatory actions taken against editorial staff in Pakistan's broadcast sector in recent years.

From a controversial broadcast to a suspension

The controversy began after Geo News aired Safar-e-Ishq as part of its Muharram programming on June 26.

On June 28, PEMRA suspended the channel's license with immediate effect, saying the documentary contained religious visualization that violated the Electronic Media (Programs and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015 and had the potential to hurt religious sentiments, undermine religious harmony, and disturb public peace during one of the country's most sensitive religious observances.

Geo News later issued a public apology, removed the documentary from its platforms, and said it had initiated disciplinary action against those involved in producing the program.

The matter was subsequently examined by PEMRA's Council of Complaints Lahore during three separate meetings before recommendations were forwarded to the Authority. After reviewing the record, hearing the broadcaster's representatives, and considering the opinion of the Council of Islamic Ideology, the Authority upheld the suspension at its 191st meeting on July 11.

International concern over the suspension

The suspension also attracted international attention.

Earlier this month, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) urged PEMRA to reverse the suspension, describing it as a serious escalation in official interference with Pakistan's news media. The organization argued that regulatory measures affecting broadcasters should remain proportionate and avoid unnecessarily restricting access to news.

Although Geo News has now returned to the air, the regulator's final ruling is likely to have a broader and longer-lasting impact than the suspension itself. By requiring stronger editorial oversight, imposing individual accountability, and warning of tougher penalties for future violations, PEMRA has signaled a more stringent compliance environment for television broadcasters across Pakistan.

WHY THIS MATTERS: This is more than the end of Geo News' suspension. PEMRA has used the case to redefine editorial accountability for all television broadcasters, making stronger internal oversight and compliance central to avoiding future regulatory action.

ATTRIBUTION: Reporting and analysis by JournalismPakistan

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only