Notice served on Geo Television for airing controversial content

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 15 May 2014

PEMRA has issued a notice to Geo Television for airing controversial content during its show, Utho Jago Pakistan. The channel faces over 5,000 complaints regarding the program.

Summary

ISLAMABAD: Geo Television continues to be under a cloud and has now been served notice for airing controversial content during its morning show Utho Jago Pakistan, hosted by Shaista Lodhi. The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is seeking immediate explanation from the managers at the channel for the content aired Wednesday (May 14).

The watchdog has received over 5,000 complaints against the controversial program. The channel has been found violating clauses (a), (i) & (p) of PEMRA Code of Conduct contained in Schedule A of PEMRA Rules 2009, which says:

(1) No program shall be aired which:

- passes derogatory remarks about any religion or sect or community or uses visuals or words contemptuous of religious sects and ethnic groups or which promotes communal and sectarian attitudes or disharmony;

- is against basic cultural values, morality and good manners;

- contains material which is against ideology of Pakistan or Islamic values.

Reports said the complaints received against Geo have been forwarded to the Council of Complaints.

Things have not been going well for Geo Television after it accused the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and its chief of masterminding an attack on its presenter Hamid Mir.

Meanwhile, Geo's sister The News reported the program host and the organization had already admitted making an unintentional faux pas in the show. They said they realized having made an inadvertent mistake which hurt sentiments of the viewers.