KARACHI – The suspension of Pakistan’s Geo TV has come to an end after thecompany agreed to most of the military’s demands, including changing itspolitical coverage, an international media claimed in its exclusive report.
After the blackout of Geo TV in certain parts of the country, includingLahore, Islamabad, Multan, at the end of March the organisation published amessage on its news website’s homepage, informing viewers that access toinformation was their fundamental right, requesting them to inform themedia house if they were not able to watch the transmission.
Following the suspension of the TV channel, representatives of the militaryput pressure on the channel to bar it from giving favourable coverage todeposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif and airing criticism on Pakistan’s topcourt and the establishment, the international media cited sources assaying.
One of the instructions to the news channel says that no reports should beaired regarding the ongoing corruption trial of Sharif family that portraysthe former prime minister and his children are innocent, the sources said.
As many as three corruption references have been filed against the Shariffamily, on the directives of the Supreme Court which pertain to theAl-Azizia Steel Mills and Hill Metal Establishment, offshore companiesincluding Flagship Investment Ltd, and Avenfield properties of London.
Nawaz Sharif and his sons Hussain and Hasan are accused in all threereferences whereas his daughter Maryam and son-in-law MNA Capt (retd)Safdar are named in the Avenfield reference only
They also claimed that organisation has accepted most of the demands whileno any final deal has been made yet, adding that the TV channel has startedfollowing the accepted demands and subsequently, its services have beenrestored.
A spokesperson for the Geo talking to the international media said that thecompany will continue providing information on both sides of the story toits viewers as the channel had suffered for its independent policy duringeras of dictatorship and civilian rule. He said that they will prefer toshut down the channel instead of comprising on the independence.
Geo TV Network President Imran Aslam informed that Geo started appearing onTuesday in approximately half the country but it had not been restoredcompletely.
The media outlet cited Pakistan’s major cable operators, who spoke oncondition of anonymity, saying that they had suspended the services aftergetting direct instructions from unknown military men.
On April 2, Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal expressed concern over thesuspension of Geo News and other channels of the organisation.
Speaking on Geo News’ programme ‘Naya Pakistan,’ Iqbal said that neitherPEMRA nor the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting had issuedinstructions to put the channels off air.
The minister said that the prime minister had been informed about thebroadcast suspension.
“If these things are not corrected then questions will be raised on thetransparency of the upcoming elections,” he said.
Senior anchor Talat Hussain on Sunday shared via a Tweet that the channelhas been suspended in several cities including Karachi, Lahore and Multan.
“Cable operators say they are forced to do it. Government powerless.Financial choking, woes of workers is part of the worst, most blatantcensorship we have faced in recent times.”
Later on, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) hasordered restoration of all Geo TV channels on their actual position within24 hours, according to a press statement by the regulatory body issuedMonday.
The authority said it had received complaints from Lahore and Karachiregarding the suspension of the channels.