The television programme “Sar-e-Aam” of ARY News television channel produced a program on transport of weapons and explosives with connivance of corrupt railway officials. Instead of investigating the serious security lapse, the railway authorities registered a case of arms smuggling against the media team itself. ARY News said its program caught railway officials taking bribes to transport illegal weapons from Karachi to Lahore, ARY News reported.

General Manager Railways, Javed Anwar told the journalists that the railways employees guilty of transport of arms and explosives had been suspended.

The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) President Rana Azeem amd Secretary General Amin Yousuf strongly condemned attack and demand that the case should be withdrawn immediately.

Pakistan Press Foundation

The delegations of Journalist Unions which include PFUJ, RUJ and IUJ and Cable Operators met PEMRA officials and Information minister Pervaiz Rasheed and raised the issue of suspension of ARY News transmission.

Cable operators association which met Pervaiz Rasheed besides informing him of problems they are facing, demanded the notification of resumption of ARY News transmission to be issued soon citing reason that the penalty period is well over.

The ministry and PEMRA officials assured the protestors that the notification for the resumption of transmission will be issued on Monday while chairman PFUJ Afzal Butt opined that it is the right of cable operatiors to select the numbers on which the channel is to be telecasted.

ARY News