"PEMRA has chosen to restrict this."
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority has issued a formal show-cause notice to Geo News for airing a tribute to Asha Bhosle.
Azhar Abbas shared this news on social media while serving as the managing director of the popular news network.
The regulatory body believes that the news organisation showed defiance toward a previous judgment from the Supreme Court.
In the year 2018, the Supreme Court of Pakistan officially reinstated a strict ban on airing Indian media content.
PEMRA claims that Geo News aired Indian songs and film visuals during their coverage of the death of Bhosle.
The legendary singer was 92 years old when she passed away, leaving behind a massive legacy.
“It has always been customary to revisit and celebrate the work of iconic artists when reporting on them.”
Abbas expressed his firm belief that celebrating the life of an iconic artist is a standard journalistic practice today.
“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.”
Abbas also noted: “Yet, Pakistan’s electronic media regulator, PEMRA, has chosen to restrict this.”
The regulator cited multiple violations, including Section 20 of the PEMRA Ordinance from 2002 and later amendments made in 2023.
These rules state that channels must strictly comply with codes of programs and advertisements approved by the official authority.
The notice also highlights failures regarding internal monitoring committees intended to ensure compliance with the established media codes.
The CEO of the media group must now explain the situation in writing within a period of 14 days.
Failure to provide a sufficient explanation could lead to heavy fines or the total revocation of their broadcasting license.
An official meeting has been scheduled for April 27 to discuss the potential legal consequences for the channel.
Many people in both India and Pakistan admired the voice of Asha Bhosle during her very long musical career.
Several Pakistani celebrities took to social media to pay their deep respects and share memories of the iconic singer.
Senator Sherry Rehman was among those who criticised the move by the regulator to police these specific cultural transitions.
She wrote: “Please, let’s not lose all perspective here, PEMRA and start policing cultural transitions.”
The senator urged the authority to maintain perspective and avoid excessive control over the shared history of the region.
This controversy brings the long-standing debate regarding Indian media consumption in Pakistan back to the very front page.
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