ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Pakistan's largest TV station has been allowed back on the air at some major cable operators after talks with the military on demands it make changes in political coverage, two officials who work for the channel's media group told Reuters on Wednesday.
After Geo TV, Pakistan's most popular station, was taken off the air across much of the country at the end of March, military representatives pressed the channel to cease favourable coverage of ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and stop any criticism of the Supreme Court and the "establishment", according to the two people, who had knowledge of the negotiations.
The "establishment" is a commonly used euphemism for the military in Pakistan.
Written instructions by Geo management to staff last week that were reviewed by Reuters spelled out "key editorial points that we have to manage and implement" to be restored to the airwaves.
Besides banning negative portrayals of the "establishment" and any allegations the Supreme Court might be interfering in politics, the instructions said there should be no reports on Nawaz Sharif's ongoing corruption trial "that helps build a narrative that he and his children are innocent".
The two sources, employees of The Jang Group of Newspapers, Geo's parent company, said the company had reluctantly agreed to most of the military's demands, although there was no final deal confirmed and the situation was in flux.
"As for the deal or tough conditions, we are following them and Geo has been restored. That restoration is the result of obeying those dictations," one of the sources said on Wednesday.
Geo TV Network President Imran Aslam declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works.
A Geo spokesperson said in a statement: "Geo will always strive to provide both sides of the story and an independent editorial policy for which it has suffered in every regime, military and civilian.
"If we ever surrender on that independence we would rather shut down the channel ourselves," added the spokesperson, who would not answer questions about any negotiations with the military.
The military's press office did not respond to written questions and phone calls about whether it had pressured the cable operators. It also did not comment on the allegations that the military, or its powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) wing, made demands on Geo to alter its coverage or secured agreement to make any changes.
Three major cable operators, who spoke on condition of anonymity, earlier told Reuters they had pulled the channel from their rosters after direct instructions from unidentified military officers, even though the army has no official authority over the media.
The cable operators could not be immediately contacted as Geo slowly began to come back on air on Tuesday and Wednesday.
COMMITMENT TO DEMOCRACY
Media executives and analysts say the crackdown on Geo signals the military may be trying to control information in the run-up to a general election due within months, with the aim of preventing Sharif's PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) party from retaining its parliamentary majority.
Sharif's supporters say the military dislikes the ousted prime minister because of his attempts to assert civilian authority over the army, but the military has several times denied any role in his ouster.
The chief of army staff, General Qamar Javed Bajwa, recently declared his commitment to a democratically elected government.
Sharif was removed from office by the Supreme Court last year over an unreported source of income. He has been barred for life from holding public office by the court.
He and his family also face trial by an anti-corruption court over accusations they improperly used offshore companies to buy expensive London properties in the 1990s without accounting for the source of the funds. A verdict in that case is expected next month.
Geo has been one of the few broadcast stations giving extensive coverage to Sharif's defiant rallies around the country criticising his ouster, but it has denied allegations by the opposition that it is a mouthpiece for his ruling party.
Founded in 2002, Geo News has consistently ranked as the most popular TV news station among Pakistan's 208 million people. It was rated the number one watched channel in a February report by Medialogic, a ratings provider.
Geo began reappearing on Tuesday in approximately half the country but had not been restored completely, network president Aslam said on Wednesday. He declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works.
Aslam had said last week that the channel had been effectively blocked in about 80 percent of the country and had lost millions of dollars in revenue. "There is no official reason as to who has done it, why it has been done," he told Reuters at that time. He gave no further details on Wednesday.
Geo TV has remained on the air throughout in much of Islamabad, the capital, where most diplomats, government officials and foreign journalists are based.
"BIG BROTHER, THE BOOTS"
Reuters interviewed nearly a dozen cable operators and Geo insiders with knowledge of the channel's recent struggles. Three cable operators said they were pressured to take the channel off the air at the end of March while others declined to comment.
Five of the Geo insiders said they knew the widespread cable blackout was a result of military pressure. However, only two were willing to talk about the conditions laid out by military officials to Geo for restoring the channels, and they said they were doing so against direct orders from the company's owner.
One executive at a leading cable company that covers more than a million households in Pakistan told Reuters he received a telephone call at the end of March from a senior officer in the ISI telling him to take Geo TV off their roster.
There was never any question of refusing the order, he said.
A second cable executive said his company shut down Geo broadcasts after receiving a telephone call. Asked who made the call, he said: "I can't say the name, you know, big brother, the boots."
The military has declined to comment on all the allegations made by the cable operators.
BEHIND THE SCENES
The military has directly ruled Pakistan for almost half the country's history since independence 70 years ago – most recently overthrowing a previous Sharif government in a 1999 coup. It remains the most powerful institution in the country and political analysts have said that it hopes to manage Pakistan from behind the scenes without directly taking over.
The PML-N remains in control of the government and its minister of state for interior affairs, Talal Chaudhry, criticised the move against Geo.
"It's very unfortunate that behind many actions in Pakistan there are hidden hands, secret hands," Chaudhry told Reuters in response to a question about the military's possible role in Geo's trouble. He did not elaborate further.
The official broadcast media regulator, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, said in a statement that it had not ordered any channel to be taken off air and that the "closure of any licensed channel is against ... its laws."
Pakistan TV channel returning to air after negotiations with military-sources
Pakistan TV channel returning to air after negotiations with military-sources
- Geo TV Network President Imran Aslam declined to answer questions about any military involvement in the shutdown or whether any deal had been made or was in the works.
- Geo has been one of the few broadcast stations giving extensive coverage to Sharif's defiant rallies around the country criticising his ouster.
Police say militants behind quadcopter attacks in northwest Pakistan that killed one, injured three
- No group has claimed responsibility for attacks, one of which police say targeted a police station in Bannu
- Pakistan’s military blamed militant outfits backed by India for drone attacks that killed four children in May
PESHAWAR: One woman was killed while three others were injured in two quadcopter attacks in northwestern Pakistan this week, a police official said on Wednesday, blaming militants for carrying out the assault.
The first attack took place on Tuesday night in the northwestern tribal Bannu district’s Srah Bangla area, District Police Officer (DPO) Saleem Abbas Kulachi said. The quadcopter strike killed a woman and left three injured, including two children, he added.
The second attack targeted the Miryan Police Station in the same district at 6:45 am on Wednesday, he said. The police officer added that an explosive-laden quadcopter deployed by the “Khawarij” had struck the facility.
Khawarij is a commonly used term by Pakistani authorities to describe extremist factions like the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).
“These attacks are being carried out by militants who have acquired and deployed quadcopters in carrying out attacks,” Amir Khan, a media officer for the regional police officer in Bannu, told Arab News.
He did not provide further details. Kulachi, however, said an investigation is underway to identify those responsible for the Miryan Police Station attack.
The TTP, which has carried out some of the deadliest attacks against Pakistan’s armed forces and civilians since 2007, has not claimed responsibility for the attack so far.
On May 19, a suspected drone strike reportedly led to the deaths of four children in Hurmuz village of the northwestern Mir Ali tehsil and injuries to five others, including a woman.
Pakistan’s military denied responsibility for the attack days later, attributing the incident to a proscribed militant network which it said was operating on “the behest of their Indian masters.”
“Initial findings have established that this heinous act has been orchestrated and executed by Indian-sponsored Fitna Al Khawarij,” the military’s media wing said in a statement.
Later in May, police said at least 22 people were wounded in another suspected quadcopter attack near a volleyball ground in Pakistan’s South Waziristan district.
The police spokesperson had said the origins and operators of the drone remained “undetermined.
Islamabad has repeatedly blamed Afghanistan-based militant groups for launching attacks inside Pakistan, a claim that Kabul denies.
Pakistan also blames India for backing militant groups in its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. India denies the allegations.
Pakistan extends Hajj 2026 registration deadline to July 11 as 313,000 complete process
- The deadline for the registration process of Hajj 2026 was supposed to end on July 9
- Registration is mandatory for all intending pilgrims and no fee is required at this stage
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s government has extended the deadline for Hajj 2026 registration by two days to July 11, the religion ministry said on Wednesday, sharing that 313,000 people have completed the registration process so far.
The ministry had announced the launch of next year’s Hajj process last month, which was due to remain open till July 9. Applicants will be able to choose between the government and private Hajj schemes once the deadline expires.
Intending pilgrims can register through 15 designated banks, and only those who complete the process will be eligible to perform Hajj next year. No fee is required at the registration stage.
“Deadline for Hajj 2026 registration has been extended by two days,” Pakistan’s Ministry of Religious Affairs (MoRA) said in a statement.
“Hajj registration will continue until July 11 through designated banks and the ministry’s online portal.”
The ministry said 313,000 individuals have so far completed the registration process for Hajj 2026. It added that the decision to extend the deadline was taken after considering requests from several intending pilgrims.
The ministry said expenses and other terms and conditions of Hajj 2026 will be issued separately as per the Hajj policy.
Registration is mandatory for pilgrims who were left out of the private scheme this year, as well as for Pakistanis residing abroad.
Pakistan had received a quota of 179,210 pilgrims from Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, evenly divided between the government and private Hajj operators.
However, a major portion of the private quota remained unutilized due to delays by companies in meeting payment and registration deadlines, while the government filled its full allocation of over 88,000 pilgrims.
Private operators blamed the situation on technical glitches such as payment issues and communication breakdowns.
Pakistan kicks off investor roadshow in China for inaugural panda bond
- Pre-marketing meetings in Beijing draw strong investor interest in debut Panda Bond
- Finance Ministry says move will help diversify funding through China’s onshore market
KARACHI: Pakistan has launched a series of investor meetings in Beijing this week as it prepares to issue its first-ever panda bond, the finance ministry said on Wednesday, marking a significant step in the country’s strategy to diversify its funding sources through China’s onshore capital market.
Representatives from the Pakistani ministry of finance are holding the non-deal investor roadshow (NDR) in China from July 7 to 11, 2025. The delegation has engaged in technical discussions with potential investors, underwriters, prospective guarantors, the Chinese Rating Agency, and Chinese legal counsel as part of the pre-marketing process for the debut issuance.
The investor meetings focus on Pakistan’s macroeconomic outlook, ongoing debt management reforms and the proposed bond’s structure. The initiative reflects Pakistan’s push to broaden its investor base and strengthen its credibility in international capital markets.
A panda bond is a Renminbi-denominated bond issued by a foreign government, multilateral institution, or company in China’s onshore bond market, allowing overseas issuers to raise funds from Chinese investors while diversifying their investor base and gaining access to China’s deep capital pool.
“The visit reflects the Government’s commitment to proactive investor engagement and diversification of funding sources through access to China’s onshore capital market,” the finance ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the inaugural panda bond is expected to be launched later this year after the completion of documentation and regulatory approvals, including credit guarantees from multilateral development partners.
Officials said the roadshow has drawn strong initial interest, signalling investor confidence in Pakistan’s reform trajectory. The ministry described the move as a milestone that would help Pakistan tap China’s deep and diversified onshore bond market while using local currency instruments backed by multilateral partners.
“The successful NDR so far reflects the Government’s commitment to innovative and forward-looking financial diplomacy — and sends a clear message: Pakistan is ready to enter new capital frontiers with confidence and credibility,” the statement added.
Pakistan launches new fisheries policy, eyeing $10 billion from sector
- Despite Pakistan having over 1,050 kilometers of coastline, its untapped fisheries sector contributes only 0.5 percent to GDP
- Ten-year policy focuses on climate resilience, gender inclusion, modern technologies, says maritime affairs ministry
KARACHI: Pakistan’s government launched its 10-year national fisheries and aquaculture policy on Wednesday, with a senior official saying that better management and value addition could help the fisheries sector generate up to $10 billion in value.
Pakistan has the potential to become a major player in the global fisheries markets with over 1,050 kilometers of coastline along the Arabian Sea and vast inland water resources. However, its fisheries sector remains largely undertapped due to poor regulations and issues such as overfishing, contributing only 0.5 percent to the country’s GDP.
Pakistan’s Maritime Affairs Minister Junaid Anwar Chaudhry launched the 10-year National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy 2025–2035 at a workshop in Islamabad.
“With better management and value addition, the [fisheries] sector could generate up to $10 billion in value,” Maritime Affairs Minister Secretary Zaffar Ali Shah said at the workshop.
Shah said despite Pakistan’s long coastline, the fisheries sector has failed to achieve its potential, saying that while it remains a vital source of livelihood, it faces serious issues like overfishing and poor regulation.
“He noted that the newly introduced national policy aims to resolve these challenges through coordinated planning,” the maritime affairs ministry said.
Chaudhry said the policy focuses on cross-cutting priorities such as climate resilience, environmental protection, child safety, gender inclusion, labor rights and the adoption of modern technologies.
The minister said that the policy’s success depended on sustained commitment, effective coordination and active engagement from all stakeholders.
“He said this policy represents a major milestone for not just the ministry but for all institutions, communities and stakeholders committed to the future of Pakistan’s blue economy,” the maritime affairs ministry said.
The workshop, organized by the maritime affairs ministry, also featured several panel discussions, including sessions on governance and incentives for the fisheries and aquaculture sectors, strategies for the development and management of aquaculture in Pakistan, and the implementation framework and cross-cutting themes of the national policy.
Pakistan reported an increase of over 20 percent in its seafood exports during the last fiscal year, reiterating its commitment to bolster its blue economy. The South Asian country hopes to achieve sustainable economic growth driven largely by exports.
Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches film project to spotlight Pakistan’s unsung changemakers
Oscar winner Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy launches film project to spotlight Pakistan’s unsung changemakers
- Free short film to be produced for one nonprofit, campaign aims to amplify overlooked voices
- SOC Films project to coincide with Independence Day, covering issues from climate to refugees
ISLAMABAD: Two-time Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy on Wednesday launched a new initiative through her production house, SOC Films, to highlight the work done by grassroots projects and nonprofit organizations in Pakistan through storytelling.
The campaign, titled Frame It Forward, will select one organization to receive a professionally produced short film at no cost. The initiative aims to raise the visibility of local efforts across a wide range of issues, from education and gender equality to wildlife conservation, refugee assistance and community health.
“Too often, vital work being done in the heart of our communities goes unseen simply because it isn’t being told,” Obaid-Chinoy, the founder and CEO of SOC Films, said in a statement. “Frame It Forward is our commitment to community – using the power of film to help elevate voices that deserve to be heard.”
The short film will be publicly released on August 14, Pakistan’s Independence Day, and will be developed in close collaboration with the selected initiative. The deadline for applications is July 25. Nonprofits and grassroots groups across Pakistan are encouraged to apply through an open call.
SOC Films said the campaign was rooted in the belief that storytelling is a powerful tool for driving social change, fostering empathy and encouraging civic engagement.
“This storytelling campaign is dedicated to highlighting the impactful, yet often overlooked, work done by grassroots projects and nonprofit organizations in Pakistan,” the statement said.
Internationally, storytelling has emerged as a key tool for nonprofit visibility, especially in the Global South where many groups struggle to reach wider audiences or fund communications efforts.
Obaid-Chinoy’s films, which have tackled subjects such as acid violence and honor killings, have earned her critical acclaim and global awards. Her team has previously produced free documentaries for organizations including ChildLife Foundation, Indus Hospital and the Karachi Down Syndrome Program (KDSP).
