Pakistan bans, imposes fine on 2 channels
PEMRA, suspended the licences of Geo Entertainment for 30 days and ARY News for 15 days
Islamabad: Pakistan has temporarily banned two private television channels, including one of the Geo TV network, and imposed a fine of Rs 10 million on them for airing blasphemous content and ridiculing the judiciary.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the official media watchdog, suspended the licences of Geo Entertainment for 30 days and ARY News for 15 days for overstepping the laws of the state regulator.
The entertainment channel of Geo, whose news channel was suspended for 15 days recently, was ordered on Friday to be taken off air for insulting the religious sentiments of viewers when it played a religious song at the mock wedding of controversial actress Veena Malik.
The ARY News was banned for brining the higher courts to disrepute through its criticism by anti-judiciary programmes.
PEMRA also banned ARY’s anchor Mubashir Lucman and his talk show Khara Sach for criticising the judiciary. ARY expressed anger at PEMRA and announced to challenge the ban in the court.