The Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority has announced that the television channel “Geo News” broadcast religious visual content in a program aired on June 26 in connection with the month of Muharram. According to the authority, the material could have offended public religious sentiments and undermined religious harmony. As a result, the channel has been suspended for 15 days.
Following the incident, Geo News issued an apology, stating in a Sunday press release that the content was broadcast by mistake and did not represent the channel’s editorial policy or official stance.
The statement further explained that the images in question depicted religious ceremonies of certain communities in Iraq and parts of the Middle East, and that the intention was solely to showcase local traditions and customs, not to promote any specific religious viewpoint.
Pakistan has long faced criticism regarding press freedom, with television networks occasionally subject to regulatory actions, program suspensions, and broadcasting restrictions.
Meanwhile, Reporters Without Borders has ranked Pakistan 153rd out of 180 countries in its 2026 World Press Freedom Index.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
