Defence Ministry on Thursday forwarded case to Attorney General recommending an increase in Geo News’s penalty for maligning defence institutions. The Attorney General has been told to move Islamabad High Court, Dunya News reported.
According to Defence Ministry’s spokesperson, Defence Ministry said that the campaign against intelligence agencies is a proof of treason.
The ministry believes that the penalty awarded to Geo News by PEMRA is insufficient.
Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) suspended the license of Geo News on June 6th for a period of 15 days
The action was taken during a meeting chaired by acting PEMRA chairman Pervez Rathore on a complaint filed by the Ministry of Defence.
PEMRA had directed Geo News to pay Rs 10 million fine as well.
On April 22, the Defence Ministry filed a complaint before the media regulatory authority accusing the Geo News channel of indulging in anti-state activities by smearing the image of country’s prime intelligence agency.
The ministry also provided what it claimed to be evidences against the TV channel to PEMRA.
The ministry complained about Geo News broadcast on April 19 that blamed the ISI for involvement in an assassination attempt on the station’s talk-show host, Hamid Mir.
Mir was shot three times while in his car on April 19 and he has been discharged from the hospital now.
