ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Electronic Media Regulation Authority (Pemra) late on Wednesday served a show cause notice to the administration of Geo News for allegedly bringing premier spy agency Inter-Services Intelligence into disrepute and harming national interest.

The regulatory body has also demanded a reply from the news channel’s administration by May 6.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Ministry of Defence had submitted a written request to the Pemra for action against Geo News for violating the Pemra Ordinance.

The defence ministry had written in its request that the news channel had aired material offensive to national institutions, and called for suspending the channel’s transmissions and the cancellation of its license.

The regulatory authority has, however, demanded a reply from the news channel’s administration within 14 days.

A three-member committee of Pemra made the decision during a meeting yesterday. According to some sources, a legal team briefed the Pemra committee on the constitutional and legal status of the application.