Pemra issues Geo News show-cause notice for airing Indian content while reporting news of Asha Bhosle’s death

Geo News has been issued a show-cause notice by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) for airing content related to the death of Indian singer Asha Bhosle, its managing director said on Monday.

Azhar Abbas, managing director of Geo News and president of the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors, shared the news on X.

“It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them. In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle’s stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did,” he said. “Yet, Pakistan’s electronic media regulator, Pemra, has chosen to restrict this.”

Bhosle, the legendary Indian singer, died on Sunday at the age of 92. One of the most recognisable voices to come out of the Subcontinent, Bhosle was admired by people in both India and Pakistan, with several Pakistani celebrities taking to social media since Sunday to pay tribute to her.

The Pemra notice, which was issued on Sunday, highlighted Geo News’ broadcast of Indian songs and visuals from Indian films while airing news of Bhosle’s death, “wilful defiance [of] the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of Pakistan… wherein airing of Indian content was prohibited”.

In 2018, the Supreme Court reinstated the ban on airing Indian content on TV channels in the country.

It said Geo’s broadcast was in violation of Section 20 (f) of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002 as amended by the Pemra (Amendment) Act 2023, which obligates channels to comply with the codes of programmes and advertisements approved by the Authority and appoint an in-house monitoring committee, under intimation to the Authority, to ensure compliance of the codes.

The regulator also said Geo violated Rule 15(1) of the Pemra Rules, 2009, Regulation 18 1 (g) of the Pemra (Television Broadcast Station Operations) Regulations 2012, and Clause 4(10), 5, 17, 20 and 24 of Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct 2015.

The CEO of M/s Independent Media Corporation (Geo News) has been summoned on April 27 and directed to explain in writing within 14 days as to why legal action, including inter alia imposition of fine, suspension and revocation of licence under Section 26, Section 29A and other enabling provisions of PEMRA Ordinance, 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act, 2023 should not be initiated.

Senator Sherry Rehman was one of many people who reacted to the development on social media. “Please, let’s not lose all perspective here, Pemra and start policing cultural transitions,” she wrote on X.

With additional reporting by Kalbe Ali