Geo TV is one of the biggest Pakistani channels and has been successfully running its news and entertainment networks for around 20 years. Geo News and Geo Entertainment together have hundreds of millions of YouTube subscribers, and they air multiple hit shows that gain strong TRPs and views. Recently, during Muharram, Geo News faced backlash for reportedly showing Muharram-related imagery associated with the Prophet and the Ahl-e-Bait. While Geo News is already facing possible action from PEMRA, its entertainment channel has also come under criticism for airing controversial content.
In one of the scenes from Zabt, actress Sara Ejaz is shown expressing frustration and anger by throwing books off a rack. During the scene, she throws an Islamic Studies book that features the Khana Kaaba on its cover, and the visible text in the book is based on Quranic verses and Hadith. Geo TV reportedly removed Episode 20 of Zabt from YouTube after the controversy emerged. Here are a few images from the scene.
The clip sparked severe backlash on social media, with many users calling for a lifetime ban on Geo TV. Others demanded an apology for what they described as repeated blasphemous acts. One social media user wrote, “Everyone should ban Geo TV for a lifetime.” Another commented, “Such things are deliberately shown by channels to see how people react, in order to normalize them.” A third user wrote, “Geo TV does these stunts deliberately because they are too liberal and are following a certain agenda.” Public criticism had already intensified following Geo’s Muharram coverage, and this latest scene has further fueled the debate online. Read the comments here:
