Case filed against ARY

JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 26 August 2013

The Balochistan government has taken legal action against ARY News for broadcasting sensitive footage. This has led to widespread protests from journalist unions across Pakistan.

Summary

QUETTA: The Balochistan government has filed a case under Anti-Terrorism Act against ARY News for airing footage of an attack on Ziarat Residency, television channels reported Monday.

Reports said CEO Salman Iqbal, Senior Executive Director Owais Tohid, Quetta Bureau Chief Shahid Rind and Islamabad Bureau Chief Sabir Shakir were named in the FIR.

The provincial government’s move angered journalists unions across the country with many announcing they would protest until the cases were withdrawn.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) and the Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) convened an emergency meeting to discuss the situation and course of action, ARY News reported.

Militants had attacked the Ziarat Residency in June where Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah spent the last days of his life. The building was destroyed and a policeman killed.

Key Points

Balochistan files case against ARY News under Anti-Terrorism Act.
FIR names several senior ARY executives including CEO Salman Iqbal.
Protests organized by journalist unions in response to the case.
The attack footage aired relates to a militant assault on Ziarat Residency.
Ziarat Residency is historically significant as it was frequented by Quaid-e-Azam.

Relevant Topics

Balochistan

ARY News

Anti-Terrorism ACT

Media Freedom

Journalists Protest

Ziarat Residency

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