Lahore: Over 20 FIRs have so far been registered under Pakistan`s controversial blasphemy law and Anti-Terrorism Act, including against the owner of the Geo media group, a prominent television anchor and an actress in different parts of the country.
Geo TV anchor Shaista Lodhi, in her morning programme `Utho Jago Pakistan` on Geo entertainment on May 14 had allegedly insulted the family members of Prophet Muhammad by staging the marriage of actress Veena Malik.
The cases have been registered against them under 295, 298, 499, 34 and 1295 of Pakistan Penal Code and 7 ATA in Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Karachi, Multan, Okara, Vehari, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Nankana Sahib and some other districts of Punjab province.
Geo media group owner Mir Shakilur Rehman has been living in Dubai while Malik along with her husband Asad Khatak also left the country for Dubai soon after the controversy erupted.
Lodhi too has also reportedly reached Dubai fearing the wrath of extremists.
Since the issue came to light there have been demonstrations across the country demanding ban on Geo and strict action against the accused.
Today Jammat-ud-Dawah and PML-Q held demonstrations in Nankana district some 80 kilometres from Lahore against Geo TV for launching propaganda against the ISI chief and broadcasting a blasphemous programme.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) which served a show-cause notice on Geo Entertainment network for airing objectionable content and Geo News for blaming the ISI chief for the attack on journalist Hamid Mir has yet to take action.
