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Salman Iqbal wonders why ARY is being sabotaged
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 31 August 2022
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Salman Iqbal, CEO of ARY News, criticized the ban on his channel as unwarranted sabotage. The channel has been off-air for over 25 days despite a court order to resume transmission.Summary
ISLAMABAD—As the ban on ARY News Television continued, its CEO Salman Iqbal said he was "sad today" and asked why the channel was being sabotaged.
He took to Twitter to express his feelings: "My fam n me have worked day and night for #Pakistan. Always stood in front of the enemies of state. Fought hard, tried our best to take pakistan brands around the world . And after all this we have been shut for over 25 days. And being sabotaged for what? :( I am sad today."
ARY News was taken off cable networks on August 8 after it aired a controversial comment by PTI leader Shahbaz Gill. The authorities saw it as inciting mutiny within the armed forces. Gill was later arrested and is still in jail.
Even a Sindh High Court order to resume the channel's transmission has fallen on deaf ears.
Electronic media regulator PEMRA says the cable operators were behind the closure, but people do not seem to believe this.
Journalist unions, including PFUJ and RIUJ, continue to press for the resumption of transmission by camping outside PEMRA offices. They have vowed to continue protesting until the channel returned to the airwaves.
My fam n me have worked day and night for #Pakistan. Always stood in front of the enemies of state.Fought hard ,tried our best to take pakistan brands around the world . And after all this we have been shut for over 25 days . And being sabotaged for what? :( I am sad today .
— Salman Iqbal ARY (@Salman_ARY) August 31, 2022
Key Points
- Salman Iqbal speaks out against the ban on ARY News.
- The channel has been off air since August 8, 2022.
- Shahbaz Gill's controversial comments led to the ban.
- PEMRA blames cable operators for the closure.
- Journalist unions continue to protest for the channel's return.
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