News Broadcasting
Geo TV blacked out by Pemra
MUMBAI: In April, this year, Pakistan’s popular television channel, Geo TV’s news anchor Hamid Mir was attacked. The channel believed and linked the country’s intelligence agency, Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), to the attack.
Since then, the channel has been entangled with a defamation row with ISI. However, things took an ugly turn when Pakistan’s Electronic Media Regularity Authority (Pemra) suspended the licence of the TV station for 15 days.
In a statement, Pemra said that they had made the decision following a complaint against Geo TV filed by the Defence Ministry.
Pemra said it “took a strong notice of violations committed” by the channel and “unanimously decided” immediately to suspend its licence in addition to imposing a 10 million Pakistani rupees ($100,000) fine.
It added that if the fine was not paid before the end of the suspension period, the channel would remain off air.
As per various reports, even before Friday’s (6 June) suspension, Geo News and its sister channels were off air in much of Pakistan as cable operators had pulled them off, under pressure from the military.
However, Geo argues that it has already publicly apologised to the ISI for its coverage and hence the ban is unfair.
The move has been criticised not only by the media fraternity in the country but internally as well.
On its website, Geo TV has carried a report on what Amnesty International said on the matter. The statement read: “The Pakistani government’s suspension of Geo TV, the country’s largest private broadcaster, is a politically motivated attack on freedom of expression and the media.”
“The suspension of Geo TV is a serious attack on press freedom in Pakistan. It is the latest act in an organised campaign of harassment and intimidation targeting the network on account of its perceived bias against the military,” said Amnesty International’s Asia director Richard Bennett.
In a report released on 30 April, Amnesty International had documented how media professionals in the country live under constant threat of harassment, violence and killings from a range of state and non-state factors.
News Broadcasting
UDF poised to return to power in Kerala, says Manorama-CVoter survey
Massive opinion poll projects shift in Kerala politics ahead of 2026 Assembly elections.
MUMBAI: The winds of change appear to be blowing through Kerala’s political landscape and this time, they seem to favour the United Democratic Front. A comprehensive mega opinion survey conducted by Manorama News in partnership with CVoter projects a potential comeback for the UDF in the upcoming Kerala Legislative Assembly Elections 2026. The survey, covering all 140 constituencies with a massive sample size of nearly 90,000 respondents, predicts the UDF could win between 69 and 81 seats.
The ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) is expected to secure 57 to 69 seats, a significant drop from the 99 seats it won in the 2021 elections. This would mean the LDF losing 30 to 42 of its sitting seats. Meanwhile, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which drew a blank in 2021, is projected to open its account with 1 to 5 seats.
Region-wise, the UDF is expected to make strong gains in Malabar, winning 25 to 34 out of 48 seats, and in Central Kerala, where it could bag 29 to 33 out of 53 seats. In South Kerala, the LDF is likely to retain an edge with 21 to 25 seats, while the UDF may improve to 12 to 16 seats. The NDA could pick up 1 to 3 seats in the southern region.
The survey was conducted between 14 and 26 March 2026, with additional tracker and snap polls carried out from December 2025 to March 2026. A total of 89,693 respondents participated, ensuring representation across all demographics and social segments.
Manorama News has a strong track record of accuracy, with its previous projections closely matching the actual results of the 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections as well as the 2021 Kerala Assembly polls.
In Kerala’s famously fierce political battles, this survey suggests the pendulum may be swinging back. Whether the final verdict matches these numbers or throws up another surprise, one thing is clear, the 2026 Assembly elections are shaping up to be one of the most keenly watched contests in the state’s history.
