According to information released on Friday, the Ministry of Interior has revoked ARY Communications Private Ltd.’s no-objection certificate (NOC), citing “adverse reports from agencies” as justification.
The NOC issued in favor of M/S ARY Communications Private (Ltd.) is revoked with immediate effect and until further instructions, according to the ministry’s notification dated August 11 to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
The cancellation by “the coalition government led by PML-N” was described as an “economic murder of more than 4,000 media workers associated with the news channel” by ARY News’ English website in a report on the situation. The report added that this was done without warning and referred to it as “a new move against the journalist fraternity”
The administration of the channel denounced the interruption of its broadcasts and said that the federal government was harming the network.
The Interior Ministry’s decision comes two days after the Sindh High Court ordered Pemra and cable operators to immediately resume airing ARY News, which the government had ordered to be suspended.
PTI politician Shahbaz Gill made “seditious remarks” about the Pakistan Army in an interview with ARY News earlier this week, which caused a stir. He was arrested at Banigala Chowk in the capital later on Tuesday.
After that, charges of sedition and inciting the populace against governmental institutions were brought against Gill.
