Pakistani News Channels Hacked, Live Feeds Hijacked With Anti-Military Propaganda

Pakistan’s Leading News Channels Hacked, Live Feeds Hijacked With Anti-Military Messages

On 1 March 2026, several of Pakistan’s most-watched news channels, including Geo News, ARY News, and Samaa TV, were hit by a coordinated cyberattack that disrupted broadcasts and displayed unauthorized messages targeting the Pakistan Armed Forces.

The incident occurred shortly after Iftar during Ramadan and continued into the high-traffic 9 pm news bulletins, when viewership is at its peak. Viewers were caught off guard as regular programming was abruptly interrupted by politically charged messages.

What Happened During the Broadcast

According to local media reports, hackers gained control of satellite beams and live feeds, enabling them to display messages urging citizens to oppose the military. The texts blamed the army for allegedly “controlling and destroying” the country.

One translation of the messages explained:

“Geo News transmissions have been facing continuous interruptions. The Geo News screen was hacked, and an inappropriate message was aired. This situation has no connection with Geo News. Geo News requests that the relevant authorities take notice and bring those responsible to justice.”

Some initial reports suggested an Afghan hacker might be involved, but the scale of the attack indicates a more coordinated effort.

A Regional Chain Reaction

The breach prompted a counter-response. Local sources reported that Pakistani cyber forces may have launched retaliatory DDoS attacks, targeting the Indian channel ABP News and the Food Odisha website. These attacks reportedly used live feeds to broadcast speeches from the Pakistani Army Chief.

The original attack also impacted websites in 19 different countries, where hackers allegedly ran unauthorized Google advertisement campaigns as part of the disruption.

Response from the Channels

Geo News’ Managing Editor, Azhar Abbas, stated that the channel had been defending against hacking attempts for nearly 24 hours before the attackers succeeded. He emphasized that the messages shown were entirely from external actors, and that Geo News’ broadcasts via PAKSAT satellite were otherwise secure.

Videos of the hijacked transmissions quickly circulated on YouTube, showing the moment live news was interrupted. Authorities are now investigating the incident to prevent similar cyber breaches in the future.