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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.
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On DawnNews
Comments (35) Closed
Jun 20, 2014 11:10pm
ARY, why??? This is revenge for their coverage of model town incident. If this is not dictatorship, then I don't know what is.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:17pm
This is ridiculous. ARY is being massacred just like the lahore protesters were massacred on Shareef brothers orders.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:21pm
I appreciate this decision as Pakistani people's will get respite from this ongoing nonsense media war between these channels.
This war had made hostage to the whole nation.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:22pm
it looks not fair but these steps are necessary to keep all the institutions and organizations in their legal orbit.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:25pm
Good
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Jun 20, 2014 11:32pm
Very bold step. These so called 4th pillar of state should be regulated. We can not bear any thing against our Army and Judiciary. Respect our institutes.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:39pm
Why not no suspension on ARY, Dunya and Express etc. for airing the video again and again?????????
If plea is only religion, several religious scholars have already told that if GEO has done wrong by airing it initially, the on'es who are showing it again and again without any statement of apology or sorry, those are doing much it much wrong???
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Jun 20, 2014 11:45pm
PEMRA should file criminal FIRs against the offender "journalists" for criminal libel and slander. Put the criminals in jail.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:51pm
Superb decision. Let Mubashar Lucman go & learn ethics. What a shame he is in the name of journalist/ so called anchor.
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Jun 20, 2014 11:51pm
Sad Day for freedom of speach , What is Noon League doing, it seem last nail in the cofin of liberty , we should be ready for further steps against free speach, I am speachless!
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Jun 21, 2014 12:00am
Geo PEMRA!
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Jun 21, 2014 12:00am
This ARY thing started before the tragedy..The problem with us is that now we want to connect everything that is happening to PML N! We always need a scapegoat!
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Jun 21, 2014 12:05am
No matter, how much I dislike what they did. We should not shut down the TV channel. A hefty fine should be good enough. Even that needs to be only imposed after a exhaustive process to ensure that no unnecessary restriction is imposed.
Also, I don
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Jun 21, 2014 12:08am
Rule number one never pick a fight with the mullana shaibs and rule number two never pick a fight with the media so bye bye Sharif bros it was nice knowing you.
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Jun 21, 2014 12:55am
If ARY has made any negative remarks against the judiciary that doesn't mean you shut the channel down. Judiciary is no sacred institution bestowed upon us by God, its run by people like you and me who most likely may even have acted in sinister ways for their own benefit. If ARY's allegations against the judiciary was legitimate then it needs to be heard. The Judiciary is being paid by the People of Pakistan and we don't mind knowing if something is wrong with one of the institutions we are paying for!
-ThisSystemHasGottaGo
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Jun 21, 2014 12:56am
So what happened to the freedom of speech?? Just for a second think if this was done by Mushrraf, oh man, that would be considered an attack of democracy, he would have been declared a dictator, etc. What a shame.
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Jun 21, 2014 01:17am
All I can say for ary is that what goes around comes around.
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Jun 21, 2014 01:18am
The government can stop ARY from operating but they can't stop the nation from seeing and remembering their deceit.
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Jun 21, 2014 01:41am
PEMRA gone bonkers why have they gone after ARY .If you speek for the country this is what you get .
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Jun 21, 2014 02:17am
All Media channels including ARY Express and Dunya should be completely banned. Because Media channels on the name of Live news & talk shows is spreading chaos & hatred in the country. Private channels should only show entertainment and thats it.
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Jun 21, 2014 03:16am
@Mekal Faruki : Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
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Jun 21, 2014 03:17am
@nadeem The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is.
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Jun 21, 2014 05:01am
By stopping information ,information never stops but wrong information spreads .Let people be the judge .Pakistan refuses to learn from its mistakes .People of pakistan are paying huge price .
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Jun 21, 2014 05:32am
So Freedom of Press is only Free if you don't print/say anything that remotely criticizes the ISI - that about sum it up?
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Jun 21, 2014 07:52am
Its nothing but power game.
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Jun 21, 2014 09:42am
The reason why ARY's license was suspended is that Tahir ul Qadri is coming on 23 June and ARY has been giving Tahir ul Qadri a lot of air time. I am neither a fan of ARY or Tahir Ul Qadri but I think the Lahore incident was pretty bad and ARY didn't deserve the suspension. If the Supreme Court has cleared Mubashir Lucman and his show then why does PEMRA have to go all powerful on ARY.
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Jun 21, 2014 10:45am
Mubashir Luqman is a great anchor ARY news is with people of Pakistan and they talk about people Shame on Pemra PMLN is doing all this and taking revenge
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Jun 21, 2014 01:54pm
Freedom of speech in Pakistan takes another loss.
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Jun 21, 2014 03:44pm
Dear readers
In my humble opinion, we have badly failed to create a responsible society. Ideologically, we have absurd and unrealistic believes system in place. Consequntly, we couldnt a common ground for ideas to be acceptable. Resultatly we coukdnt develop autonomous institutions to run the county.
In my humble opinion, we need to revisit our constitution and find a practical way for its Implementation in every walk of Life.
Thank you for reading.
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Jun 22, 2014 12:18pm
The entire media is defamed by people like Mubashar Luqman, these are not journalist they are intruder in media industry. ARY must be banned for creating chaos in the country..... this channels is anti-state as in all their programs they instigate public not to respect law and fight with law enforcement agencies. They are weakening our society must be banned forever!
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Jun 23, 2014 06:10am
Ban geo for life.
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Jun 23, 2014 01:17pm
@Farooq Usman: Or perhaps "Geo's PEMRA"
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Jun 23, 2014 01:52pm
This blasphemy thing has become a convenient excuse to settle personal scores.
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Jun 24, 2014 02:25am
what ever ARY has said regarding the relative judge of geo owners I have seen that program . there was nothing in that program what has been the role of judges in last five years . this is far away from justice.
pemra is tool in the hands of this govt they are playing with it only pleasing goe owners how are bosses for this govt.
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Jun 24, 2014 02:58am
what a bunch of croc. Musharaff opened the media so people can see what is going on in their country. Here is a democratically elected official who is slapping media to shutdown
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