PEMRA bars live coverage of blasts, firing and terrorist attacks

Regulator directs channels to air only verified information, warns of legal action over violations

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Wednesday directed satellite television channels to refrain from broadcasting or providing live coverage of explosions, blasts, firing and terrorist attacks, warning that violations would invite legal action.

In a notification issued on October 13, the regulator reiterated its prohibition order dated February 20, 2023, directing news, current affairs and regional-language channels to refrain from broadcasting, rebroadcasting or providing live coverage of such incidents.

“All satellite TV channel licensees are once again hereby directed to refrain from broadcast, re-broadcast and live coverage of any unfortunate/unpleasant incident such as explosion, blast, firing, terrorist attack etc,” the notification read.

“Satellite TV channels must broadcast only such verified information, warranted by the concerned department/law enforcement agency,” it added.

The notification also directed channels to “effectively use time delay mechanism” and ensure the constitution of an independent editorial board in accordance with PEMRA laws, a Supreme Court judgment in suo motu case No 28 of 2018, and an Islamabad High Court order issued on September 5, 2022.

The regulator warned that violations would invite legal action under Sections 29A, 30 and 33 of the PEMRA Ordinance, 2002, as amended.

The notification came just three days after the federal government imposed emergency and governor’s rule in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa on October 11, citing a sharp rise in terrorist incidents and violent activities in the province.

The presidential proclamation said attacks on infrastructure, government installations and law-enforcement agencies had increased, posing serious threats to lives and property. It also alleged that the provincial government had failed to address the security situation effectively.

The move followed reports of a worsening security situation in K-P. Terrorist incidents in the province increased by 195 per cent between March 1, 2024, and September 23, 2026, according to security reports presented to the federal cabinet. The reports also said 73 per cent of terrorist attacks recorded in the province during 2026 had targeted police and security personnel.

Balochistan has also experienced a sharp escalation in violence. According to a Centre for Research and Security Studies report, violence-linked fatalities in the province rose from 265 to 829 in the third quarter of 2026. K-P recorded 186 violent incidents during the same period, accounting for 48 per cent of attacks nationwide.