Interior Ministry cancels NOC of ARY News

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 12 August 2022

The Ministry of Interior has revoked ARY News' no-objection certificate, citing adverse reports. This decision threatens the livelihoods of over 4,000 media workers.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Ministry of Interior canceled the no-objection certificate of ARY News on Friday and asked regulator PEMRA for further necessary action.

The notification issued by the ministry stated: "The NOC issued in favour of M/S ARY Communications (Pvt.) Limited (ARY News) is cancelled with immediate effect and until further orders on the basis of adverse reports from agencies."

According to ARY News, the coalition government led by Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has taken one more step toward the economic murder of the journalist fraternity by canceling the NOC of ARY News.

"The cancellation of NOC will mean the economic murder of more than 4,000 media workers associated with the news channel," the channel stated.

The move came after the channel aired a controversial statement by PTI leader and Imran Khan's Chief of Staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill.

The channel had also clarified that Gill's statement was his personal opinion and had nothing to do with the channel's policy.

ARY administration condemned the suspension of its transmission, saying the federal government is victimizing the network.

KEY POINTS:

• Interior Ministry cancels ARY News' NOC
• Notification issued for immediate effect
• Coalition government accused of economic murder
• ARY News claims over 4,000 jobs at risk
• Cancellation follows controversy over a statement by PTI leader.