ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) announced on Friday that the licenses of private TV channels Geo Entertainment and ARY News are to be suspended, DawnNews reported.
Geo Entertainment has been slapped with a one month suspension along with a Rs10 million fine, while the license of ARY News will be suspended for 15 days and a similar fine imposed.
The notice by Pemra stated that the regulatory body took “serious notice of violations by Geo Entertainment and ARY News”.
It said that it had ordered the “immediate suspension of the license of Geo Entertainment for 30 days, and a Rs10 million fine”.
Similarly, it added that the authorities had decided to “immediately suspend ARY News for 15 days, and impose a fine of Rs 10 million.”
Pemra said that Geo Entertainment had its license suspended over airing blasphemous content on one of its shows.
ARY News was handed the license suspension over complaints that it had made slanderous statements against the judiciary on one of its shows.
This is the second suspension faced by a television channel owned by the Geo TV network. Geo News was previously suspended for 15 days by Pemra in an order issued on June 6, 2014.
In a message posted on social media Geo News said that it’s broadcast would be effectively restored at 12:AM on Saturday as it had completed its 15-day suspension period.