Geo TV, one of Pakistan’s most prominent and popular television network, went off the air in the country. It is believed that the channel, which is known for its unapologetically outspoken and sometimes racy content, has been suspended on the orders of the military.
Geo TV’s Chief Executive Mir Ibrahim Rahman said,”We are off the air in 80 percent of the country.” The channel also reached out to the public through Twitter, requesting them to be patient and asking them to report any sort of further difficulties in getting the channel. “If viewers/readers cannot watch Geo News on their TV screens or if our channels have somehow been shifted from their original numbers, or if they are deprived of receiving their copies of Daily Jang or/and The News, they can lodge complaints at telephone number: 021-32271133,” said Geo TV’s official Twitter page.
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However, Pakistan government has come out saying that it did not order the suspension of the channel. According to Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal, the government did not order the suspension of the channel and do not know why the channel has been suspended. However, reports claim that the channel has been suspended on the orders of the military.
The suspension of the channel has not gone well with the Committee to Protect Journalists and media persons. Many have come out in protest against this move and sees it as an attempt to curb the freedom of the press in the nation. “The arbitrary suspension of Geo TV on cable TV is a direct assault on Pakistan’s constitutionally guaranteed right to access information,” said Steven Butler who is the committee’s Asia program coordinator. He further added, “It’s outrageous that the authorities are either unable to find or too frightened to name those powerful enough to orchestrate the blocking of the news distribution.”
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