- Broadcast of Geo News, ARY News, and Samaa TV was disrupted by hackers on Sunday
- Hackers displayed an anti-army message and supported Israeli intelligence agency Mossad
- Geo News faced continuous disruptions and called for immediate government action
The broadcast of several leading news channels was disrupted on Sunday, with subversive message urging the people to stand against the military regime at a time the country witnessed protests over the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei amid Middle East tensions.
Among the channels impacted were Geo News, ARY News and Samaa TV. A message displayed by hackers during the 9 pm broadcast read in Urdu, "A certain section of your army has brought the whole of Pakistan to ruin. Stand against it. Stand up to it." Messages also favoured Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, per Express Tribune.
In a statement, the Geo News management said that for the past 24 hours, attempts were being made to hack the channel, which was on the communication satellite PAKSAT, and disrupt its broadcast. "Geo News' screen was hacked to display an inappropriate message," the statement said, adding that the channel had been facing continuous disruptions.
Geo News Managing Editor Azhar Abbas wrote in an X post in Urdu, "An inappropriate message was aired by hacking Geo News's screen. Geo News has no connection to this situation." He called on authorities to take immediate action.
Local reports added that the websites of several news channels were used to run google ads supporting Mossad. The ads were reportedly run on websites across 19 countries.
No official statement was issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
The broadcast breach came on the second day of mounting tensions after US and Israel launched strikes on Iran, which responded with strikes on several countries across the Middle East region. Khamenei was killed during the strikes on Iran, prompting a wave of mourning and protests among the Shia community across the world. In Karachi, a mob of protesters forced its way into the US Consulate, while others on the road clashed with security forces. At least 22 people were killed and 120 injured in these clashes.
In addition, 12 people were killed and over 80 wounded in clashes with police in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region when thousands of protesters angered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran attacked the offices of the UN Military Observer Group and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), local police official Asghar Ali told The Associated Press.
Demonstrations were also staged in Peshawar, Multan and outside the US Consulate in Lahore.
President Asif Ali Zardari expressed his "profound sorrow over the martyrdom" of Khamenei and conveyed his condolences to Iran, according to his office. He said, "Pakistan stands with the Iranian nation in this moment of grief and shares in their loss."
