The protest demonstration was held against unfair practice of Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) of blocking ARY news transmission.

Protesting journalists attempted to enter the Pemra office, however police barred them. Pemra still has not issued notification for restoring ARY News transmission despite court orders.

On the other side, cable operators are also being pressurized to keep the suspension of ARY News transmission, mainly to appease the high-ups in authority.

ARY News

The journalists gathered at the protest camps set up in front of all press clubs across Pakistan and held banners carrying slogans like “Freedom of Expression: Under Threat,” and “Not scared of threats!”.

The speakers deplored that Geo News was not restored completely and all the channels of Geo family were pushed back from their original numbers on the cable. They asked the government to undo these discriminatory steps. They slammed the act of making no-go areas for Geo Television and the Jang Group newspapers and stopping the cable operators from disseminating the information provided by news channels.

A large number of journalists from print and electronic media and members of the civil and members of the civil society organisations visited the protest camps and said they would start a countrywide protest campaign on the call of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) if unannounced curbs are not lifted and no-go areas not eliminated against Geo Television and the Jang group newspapers.

PFUJ president Afzal Butt while addressing the charged and protesting journalists in front of National Press Club (NPC) said Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) is shrinking employment opportunities for the journalists by taking television channels off the air so they cannot tolerate any situation in which the people belonging to the media industry are pushed to the wall to conceal wrongdoings of the state.

He said senior journalists affiliated with the print and electronic media can play an important role in giving a constructive direction to the media industry that has been serving the nation with commitment, dedication and pride.

NPC president Shehryar Khan said the media industry always played a pivotal role in safeguarding national interests and ideological boundaries of Pakistan and it would continue to do so in the face of challenges and threats, adding “No one can question the patriotism of journalists who always prefer national interests despite facing potential threats even to their lives.”

Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ) president Ali Raza Alvi said the government should make all out efforts to ensure that there are no no-go areas for any newspaper or news channel because any discriminatory act can undermine the freedom of press in the country.

RIUJ secretary general Bilal Dar said, “We hope the government would rectify the affairs of Pemra that should realise the importance of freedom of press and take steps in line with rules and procedures.”

President of Punjab Union of Journalists Waseem Farooq said “Pemra should follow the rules and procedures and decisions of the courts and if it does not do so then the incumbent government must take steps against the responsible persons,” he said.

In Quetta, President of Balochistan Union of Journalists Irfan Saeed while speaking at the protest camp said there should be rule of law in the country and every state institution including Pemra should work under the law instead of taking illegal steps to cause damage media industry.

Speaking to the protesting journalists Karachi Press Club president Imtiaz Faran said they would speed up their movement in the coming days because they seem that the government is paying no heed to their demands.

The News

An SHC single bench on June 24 suspended the Pemra decision on suspension of the licence of the private news television channel till June 27. It, however, restrained the TV channel from telecasting any derogatory, defamatory or incriminating remarks against the superior judiciary and its former members.

Pemra on June 20 suspended the broadcast of ARY for 15 days and imposed a fine of Rs10 million for airing contemptuous programme against the superior judiciary.Additional Attorney General Salman Talibuddin submitted that single judge was not justified in passing the impugned order. He submitted that mala fide on part of ARY News is evident from the fact that even before withdrawing the petition from division bench of the court, the respondent filed lawsuit for obtaining injunction on same ground in which it failed to obtain interim stay from the division bench of the SHC.

He submitted that not a single reason has been given by the SHC bench as to why the order of Pemra has been suspended. According to him, the order is vague and sketchy and without detailed deliberation. He submitted that the respondent had filed petition and later withdrawn without seeking permission from the court for filing the lawsuit.

He said on the very face of it, the lawsuit was not maintainable. He said as interim stay has been granted; therefore, the instant high court appeal has been filed. He submitted that Pemra had issued three show cause notices to the ARY News but the respondent did not file any reply and subsequently the 15-day ban was imposed in addition to Rs10

million fine. He said despite suspension order of the Pemra, the respondent showed deliberate defiance and continued to telecast the transmission which made mockery of the regulatory regime. The court was prayed to vacate the SHC’s single bench order on June 24.SHC division bench headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan issued notice to ARY News for June 30.

The News

According to details, media men staged a demonstration outside PEMRA office here and strongly protested against state oppression on journalist fraternity.

On this occasion, President of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Rana Azeem termed the ban on ARY News as a prohibition of the entire journalist fraternity.

Rana Azeem said that 500 journalists will present themselves for arrest, in protest against ARY News closure. He demanded PEMRA to withdraw its decision and the Information Minister to apologize for taking an action against the freedom of expression.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, Shaukat Basra labeled ARY News as the voice of truth in the country. He said that democracy in Pakistan is threatened by no-one, but the authoritarian behavior of Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister of Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif.

ARY NEWS

Justice Saeeduddin Nasir, who headed the single bench, passed this interim order till June 27 and also called comments from the Pemra and others.

The lawyers representing the news group, Anwar Mansoor Khan and Rehman Aziz Malik, submitted that following Pemra’s decision on June 20 the licence of the ARY News had been suspended for 15 days.

They also moved an application for urgent hearing of the lawsuit, submitting that on account of suspension of the licence, the plaintiff is suffering colossal losses.

They pleaded to the court to grant an interim order during the pendency of the suit, restraining the defendants from taking any action against the plaintiff or anyone connected with the business of the plaintiff pursuant to the decision of the Pemra.

Anwar Mansoor said that pursuant to the aforesaid recommendations Pemra issued a decision on June 20, without providing an opportunity of hearing the plaintiff or serving any notice of hearing.

He contended that it is a mandatory provision of the relevant law under which the Pemra was bound to serve a notice of hearing to the plaintiff, which should have been afforded an opportunity of being heard.

Express Tribune

ARY TV is second channel to be suspended in recent months – Geo TV was suspended for 15 days on May 21.

According to reports PEMRA took the decision unanimously on June 20 claiming that ARY TV had aired “anti-judiciary programs”. PEMRA also banned the programme “Khara Sach” (Bitter Truth) aired on ARY News and its anchorperson Mubasher Lucman, for “persistently airing contemptuous and malicious campaign against the judiciary”.

The government’s crackdown comes as senior journalists and PFUJ officials have been subjected to threating calls from senior state officials and Federal Minister for information Pervaiz Rasheed. The PFUJ has been staging protests to condemn the shutdown of the TV channels and to show the solidarity with journalists. However, journalists participating in a peaceful protest outside PEMRA’s Islamabad office were subjected to harsh treatment by police.

Press freedom in Pakistan has also suffered since senior journalist and popular Geo TV anchor Hamid Mir was shot at in Karachi on April 19. The situation remains tense with Mir and Geo TV accusing the Pakistan military’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency of orchestrating the attack.

Responding to the latest PEMRA action, the PFUJ said: “The decision of PEMRA is taken without any judicial proceeding, thus it’s undemocratic and we demand written assurance from the Prime Minister that no media house will be subjected to such closure in future. We will not compromise on the freedom of media.”

The IFJ believes the decision to suspend the license of any channel is an assault on press freedom and a violation of media rights. “Media outlets should be able to scrutinize and be critical of any state organizations based on the evidence at hand. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that media rights are protected and that the media are allowed to perform their duties and responsibilities without threats, intimidation, harassment or violence.”

International Federation of Journalists

Geo Entertainment has been fined with one-month suspension along with Rs10 million fine, while the license of ARY News is suspended for 15 days and a same fine amount imposed on it.

PEMRA suspended these licenses and imposed fine due to violation of rules, reportedly committed by Geo Entertainment and ARY News. According to PEMRA release, Geo Entertainment is suspended because of airing blasphemous content on its morning show.

The license of ARY News was suspended over complaints about malicious statements against the judiciary on one of its talk shows. This is the second suspension faced by Geo TV network as Geo News was earlier suspended for 15 days by PEMRA in an order issued on June 6, 2014.

Pakistan Press Foundation