Senior journalists of banned Pak TV channel held

Story by  IANS | Posted by  Aasha Khosa | Date 10-08-2022
ARY TV logo
ARY TV logo

 

Islamabad

A day after the transmission of Pakistani television station ARY News was taken off air by the country's regulatory authorities, the outlet's senior Vice President Ammad Yousaf was arrested from Karachi in the early hours of Wednesday, the channel said.

Yousuf's arrest comes after the channel, which is the country's biggest private broadcaster, was served a showcause notice by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday.

ARY News said that its journalist was arrested by Karachi Police and a raiding team broke into his house from the main gate in the middle of the night. It has termed Yousaf's arrest as retaliation by the government against the channel and noted that police officers in plain clothes forcibly entered the journalist's house.

PTI leader Murad Saeed has strongly condemned the late-night arrest of the senior journalist.

Regulatory watchdog PEMRA has alleged that the channel was airing "false, hateful and seditious" content based on "absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national security by instigating rebellion within the armed forces", Dawn reported. In its notice to the news outlet, the regulatory watchdog also termed the news anchor who delivered the news as "biased."

PEMRA has also directed the channel's CEO to appear in person for a hearing today (August 10).

The entire episode was perpetuated due to a news piece aired by the channel on how the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has reportedly activated its strategic media cell to malign Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and the country's former prime minister Imran Khan.

The PEMRA notice to ARY News alleged that PTI leader Shehbaz Gill had made "highly hateful and seditious" remarks tantamount to "incite armed forces towards revolt," Dawn reported.

Shortly after ARY News was taken off air, PTI leader and close aide of Imran Khan, Shahbaz Gill was arrested in Islamabad on Tuesday.

An Islamabad police spokesperson said that Gill has been taken into custody for inciting the public against the state institutions, Geo News reported.

"After the ban on ARY yesterday, they've today arrested @SHABAZGIL. Pakistan is living under a fascist imported government, who doesn't care about the human rights of the people of Pakistan. We strongly demand the immediate release of Dr Gill," Imran Khan's PTI tweeted yesterday.