The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has issued an urgent directive requiring all satellite television channel licensees to submit a comprehensive cybersecurity implementation roadmap within three working days, setting an August 4 deadline for the completion of critical security measures.

The move comes in response to mounting concerns over satellite uplink interference and a surge in cyber threats targeting Pakistan’s broadcast infrastructure.

According to the official notification, television channels must provide detailed timelines for conducting third-party cybersecurity audits, deploying or outsourcing Security Operations Centers (SOCs) and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and appointing Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). PEMRA has made it clear that all prescribed measures must be fully implemented by the August 4 cutoff.

In a parallel development, the regulator has scheduled a high-level meeting on July 8 at its Islamabad headquarters to address the growing issue of satellite uplink frequency interference. Channels have been instructed to ensure the attendance of their Chief Technical Officers and Chief Cyber Security Officers, while the Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission (SUPARCO) and Paksat International Limited have been asked to nominate technical experts to assist in tackling what PEMRA described as “a matter of grave concern.”

The latest directives build on a cybersecurity briefing held on June 30, during which officials from the National Cyber Emergency Response Team (NCERT) educated broadcasters on cybersecurity protocols, risk mitigation strategies, and best practices for safeguarding broadcast infrastructure and digital platforms.

The government’s intensified focus on cybersecurity follows a series of coordinated cyberattacks in March 2026 that targeted several major television networks, including Geo News, ARY News, and Samaa TV. The attacks reportedly disrupted live broadcasts and defaced websites with pro-Israel and Mossad-linked messaging, triggering investigations by the National Computer Emergency Response Team (PKCERT) and the formation of a government committee tasked with raising cybersecurity standards across Pakistan’s broadcast industry.