ARY News & Geo TV suspended in Pakistan

Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has suspended the licences of Geo Entertainment for 30 days and ARY News for 15 days in Pakistan and imposed a Rs. 10 million fine.

Dunya News reports that Geo Entertainment�۪s licence was suspended over blasphemous broadcast for 30 days whereas ARY News�۪s licence received 15-day licence suspension penalty for slandering judiciary.

Chief Operating Officer, ARY Network UK/Europe, Fayaz Ghafoor tweeted, “HUM NAHI MANTAY ZULUM KAY ZABTAY…..strongly condemn the ban of ARY.”

The report adds that Geo TV’s Breakfast presenter Shaista Lodhi, along with her team have been banned from broadcasting the show on any network in Pakistan. Similarly, ‘Kharra Sach’ and its host Mubashir Lucman have been banned from the broadcast.

Geo News’ transmission is temporarily suspended after Pakistani media regulator, PEMRA found it in serious breach. It showed allegations on its news channel that the country�۪s spy agency, Inter Services Intelligence, had orchestrated the attack on journalist Hamid Mir in Karachi in April.