— PEMRA asks channel to explain PTI leader’s ‘hateful, seditious’ comments critical of army aired thru its platform
ISLAMABAD/KARACHI: Freedom of the press once again came under attack when the chief executive officer (CEO) of ARY News was booked and his deputy was arrested from Karachi in the early hours of Wednesday, hours after the television station was taken off air in much of the country for being critical of the government and airing “seditious” content against the military.
According to ARY News, Ammad Yousaf was arrested without a warrant from his residence located in the Defence Housing Authority (DHA) neighbourhood of Karachi.
“Police officers, along with plain-clothed personnel, forcibly entered the house of Ammad Yousaf. The raiding team diverted the CCTV cameras of Yousaf’s house, and jumped into the house from the top of the main entrance,” the channel said.
Prior to his arrest, Yousaf was taken away from his residence, according to Salman Iqbal, the CEO, who tweeted about the incident.
“@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL news head @AmmadYousaf picked up by unknown people from his house,” he said.
@ARYNEWSOFFICIAL news head @AmmadYousaf picked up by unknown people from his house.
— Salman Iqbal ARY (@Salman_ARY) August 9, 2022
Iqbal was nominated in the same first information report (FIR) deployed by the state and the secret agencies to arrest Yousaf. According to a copy of the complaint posted on the ARY News website, Yousaf, producer Adeel Raja, and anchorpersons Arshad Sharif and Khawar Ghuman have also been nominated in the case registered on August 8.
The FIR was filed under Sections 121 (waging war against Pakistan), 506 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statements conducive to public mischief), 153 (wantonly provoking with the intent to cause riot), 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 131 (abetting mutiny or attempting to seduce a soldier, sailor or airman from his duty), 124-A (sedition), 120 (concealing the design to commit an offence punishable with imprisonment), 34 (common intention) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC).
‘SEDITIOUS’ CONTENT
ARY News received Monday a notice from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) which said it was taken off the air “for airing objectionable, hateful, seditious [content], based on absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national sec by instigating rebellion within the armed forces with malafide intent to cause a rift between [government] and [armed] forces”.
On August 8, the channel invited a senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader, Shehbaz Gill, to comment on a story during a broadcast on Monday wherein he advised civil servants not to follow orders of their top officials if they were “against the sentiments of the public.”
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) said Gill was “abducted” in Islamabad on Tuesday afternoon and the party was unable to locate him.
PEMRA has also directed Iqbal, the CEO, to appear in person for a hearing on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, ARY News was broadcasting as normal in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ruled by the PTI, but appeared to be off the air in other provinces — or was not being carried by local cable operators.
The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) warned of nationwide protests if the full transmission was not restored.
