ISLAMABAD : August 13, 2022.
ARY NEWS is going to shut down across Pakistan permanently as Interior ministry has cancelled no objection certificate (NOC) of the channel on security reason
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Following cancellation of NOC by the Interior ministry, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has decided to revoke license of the news channel.
Interior ministry had cancelled NOC of ARY NEWS on non clearance of the security of its management on Friday , paving way for shut down of ARY NEWS across Pakistan permanently.
Although ARY NEWS management has announced to challenge the authority’s decision to shut down ARY NEWS ,it may be a difficult task for it to get relief from the court after airing of anti army content in Shahbaz Gill’s episode.
ARY NEWS had aired inciting statement of Shahbaz Gill , Imran Khan’s chief security officer, on August 8,2022.
In his contentious statement, Shahbaz Gill incited lower ranks of the army to defy orders of their boss.
ARY NEWS had been a party to Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) campaign launched against the key state institutions of Pakistan .
PTI leadership used various tools to weaken the army and expose Pakistan’s security. On one hand, it activated a vicious campaign against the army on social media and on the other it picked up ARY NEWS to propagate its anti state agenda .
Sources said ARY NEWS ignored all warnings of the regulator issued it time and again for not indulging in fake reporting aimed at making Pakistan’s security related institutions weak, in particular , the army, but it not only ignored these warnings and kept on mischievously airing fake and anti state content , but also crossed all limits to make Pakistan a victim of fifth hybrid war.
The management of ARY NEWS clearly had some vested interest in becoming a party to PTI’s anti state agenda and airing highly objectionable content as it did on August 8 last by airing inciting statement of Shahbaz Gill.
ARY NEWS has a long history of mocking all key institutions of Pakistan like the army judiciary and others controversial to fulfil PTI leaders’ desires.
The latest episode of Shahbaz Gill was just one example . Its entire news reporting and programming had only one mission and that was to work against every institution which matters in security of Pakistan.
Its senior news teams and anchor persons were behaving as if their was no authority in Pakistan to check their propaganda campaign and ARY NEWS was over and above the law of the land .
Pakistan is facing fifth hybrid war in its worst form . Its security related institutions are main target of anti Pakistan forces. In the given situation , the role of PTI and ARY NEWS was highly questionable .
Now with going of Shahbaz Gill to a limit against the army where every Pakistani is taking his remarks as a big concern , its prime duty of the PEMRA to implement its laws effectively and make sure that no media outlet goes against the state in the garb of freedom of press.
Pakistan is the only country in the world where anybody can say anything on any media platform without having any credible evidence . Its high time now to discourage this trend and bring every media outlet under the law.
The government should make stringent laws to punish any media person or media organisation if found involved in fake reporting.