Asha Bhosle death: Why is Pakistan's media regulator miffed at Geo News' tribute to singer?

Pakistan's media regulator, PEMRA, issued a show-cause notice to Geo News for airing a tribute to Indian singer Asha Bhosle, who died on Sunday, its managing director said on Monday.

The veteran singer passed away at the age of 92, leaving behind a legacy of food and music that spread far outside India.

Azhar Abbas, the managing director of Geo News and president of the Association of Electronic Media Editors and News Directors (AEMEND) in Pakistan, shared the news of the show-cause notice issued against his platform on Monday.

"In times of war and conflict, art and artists should not become casualties," he wrote in a now-viral post calling out the PEMRA decision. 

He argued that it was a normal practice to pay tributes to famed singers while reporting on them, and questioned PEMRA's decision to flag the tribute.

"In fact, for an artist of Asha Bhosle’s stature, we should have shared even more of her timeless and memorable songs than we did," Abbas wrote, praising the veteran singer.

He also pointed out that Bhosle's respect for Pakistan's own revered singers like Noor Jahan and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan made her someone worth respecting beyond borders and political concerns.

"Asha Bhosle herself admired Pakistan’s legendary singer Noor Jahan, whom she fondly called her 'elder sister'. She collaborated with Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and brought to life the poetry of great Urdu poets like Nasir Kazmi," he noted.

PEMRA's justification

According to the media regulator, airing "Indian content" was prohibited, and the flagged Geo News broadcast, by paying tribute to Asha Bhosle, was engaging in "wilful defiance" of the rules.

(More details are awaited.)