Pakistan: CPJ denounces suspension of Geo license by PEMRA

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has decried in strong terms the decision of Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to suspend the license of Geo News – the country’s most watched TV channel.

Joel Simon, the Executive Director of CPJ, expressed concern over the suspension of Geo’s license. He said the decision to shut down the biggest media outlet of Pakistan reflects narrow vision and reeks of politics, terming it against the spirit of assurances held out to the CPJ by the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

It may be recalled that a delegation of CPJ had met Nawaz Sharif in March this year and got the assurance that the hazards being faced by the journalists of Pakistan would be thwarted. Since then, unfortunately, the number of incidents of torture and persecution of journalists has been on the rise viz a viz firing on journalists, attacks and threats.

The attack on Hamid Mir in April and subsequent accusation of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) only led to the snowballing of tension.