Geo News has dismissed two employees responsible for producing and approving a sensitive documentary, the channel informed the Council of Complaints of PEMRA during a hearing on its suspension.
Representing the license-holding company of Geo News, Supreme Court advocate Saim Hashmi told the Council that the management had unconditionally admitted the error and offered an unconditional apology.
Hashmi, along with High Court advocate Arbaz Khan, submitted relevant documents to the Council confirming that an internal inquiry had led to the termination of the individual who produced the documentary and the editorial committee member who approved it for broadcast.
To minimise the risk of similar errors in future, the management of channel has decided to include a religious scholar on its editorial committee. The scholar will review sensitive religious content before broadcast to help prevent future lapses.
The controversy centres on a one-hour religious travel documentary aired on the 10th of Muharram-ul-Haram, which contained 13 seconds of sensitive footage.
Geo News halted further broadcasts of the documentary and removed the content from its digital platforms before PEMRA issued its notification on the matter.
