Pakistan's Geo News channel apologises after ban over documentary

A major Pakistani news channel apologised on Sunday after it was handed a 15-day suspension by a regulator for airing a documentary that included "religious visualisation."

Geo News aired the clarification and apology over the programme named 'Safar-e-Ishq,' and published an article on its website.

"Geo News has acknowledged an editorial error regarding content aired during its 10th Muharram transmission," the article said, referring to the ongoing first month of the Islamic lunar calendar.

The programme had depicted "certain rituals practised by a limited number of people in Iraq and some other Middle Eastern countries," the channel said, without providing further details.

Geo News said it "never intended to represent, endorse, or promote any broader religious viewpoint."

A statement from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Saturday night said the "broadcast of such visual representation, given the religious, cultural and social sensitivities, constitutes a serious regulatory concern."

The regulator's statement gave no details of the documentary's content, but said it was "liable to hurt the religious sentiments of viewers... and create a risk of disturbance to public peace."

Agence France-Presse