The Council of Islamic Ideology (CII) on October 15 recommended that religious channels be granted formal licences like other TV channels, instead of receiving only no-objection certificates (NOCs), and called for amendments to the relevant laws and regulations.

At its 247th meeting, chaired by Dr Muhammad Raghib Hussain Naeemi, the council noted that religious channels currently lack a separate licensing category under the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). Dr Naeemi told Jang that these channels fulfil educational and informational functions but cannot provide entertainment, one of the three basic functions required of television channels.

However, a senior PEMRA official told Dawn that allowing religious channels could create an uneasy situation, with sect-specific channels potentially fuelling sectarianism. The official also expressed concern that permitting channels run by non-Muslim communities under such a policy could prompt resentment among Muslim clerics.