KARACHI: Hours after the most-watched news channel of the country was taken off air in a number of areas in Punjab province, ARY News was taken off air in a number of areas in Karachi as well with no plausible explanation from cable operators, ARY News reported.
According to details, the news channel watched by millions of Pakistanis across the world was taken off air in Saddar, Lyari, Liaquatabad, Kharadar, Gulistan-e-Jauhar, North Karachi, Shadman Town, Jahangir Road and Burns Road as well.
کیبل آپریٹرز کو فون کرکے اے آر وائی کی نشریات بند کروائی جارہی ہیں اور نمبر بھی تبدیل کئے جا رہے ہیں- نیا ٹل کو بھی فون موصول اور اے آر وائی کا نمبر تبدیل کردیا گیا- وزارت اطلاعات کے ذرائع کا کہنا ہے یہ کام وہ کروا رہا ہے- پھر پوچھے ہیں لوگ ہمیں کیوں گالیاں نکالتے ہیں؟ pic.twitter.com/K3vm78GdrT
— Arshad Sharif (@arsched) May 24, 2022
Ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Azadi March, the channel was either taken off-air or moved to last numbers or among entertainment channels in a number of cities and towns in Punjab reportedly on Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) behest.
‘Pemra directives’: ARY News transmission suspended in parts of Pakistan
Viewers in Peer Mahal, Muzaffargarh, Okara, Taxila, Wah Cantt, Murree, Kotli, Gojar Khan and many other areas took to social media to protest against this forced outage of the country’s most-watched news channel.
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Social media users across Pakistan have expressed anger against this attack on freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Net result of moving ARY from 7 spot to 66 is likely to be less viewership of other channels. People normally flip around channels that are in close proximity. May increase stickiness of ARY viewership
— Javed Hassan (@javedhassan) May 24, 2022
For those who are not seeing #ARYNews on usual numbers, you will most probably find it somewhere in the last ones. Mine has been shifted from no 7 to 66 now.
To those who are playing this, listen up!! Even if you completely take ARY off of cables, we'll watch it online/on apps pic.twitter.com/caRPXA9WvI— Mariam Ellahi (@MariamEllahis) May 24, 2022
#ARYNews has been blocked in Rawalpindi on Nayatel.This government has gone bonkers.#Shame #امپورٹڈ__حکومت__نامنظور
— rizwan (@RizwanRizwan1) May 24, 2022
“میڈا کو آزادی دو۔
لانگ مارچ کرنا ہمارا حق ہے۔
حکومت گرفتاریوں جیسے اوچھے ہتکنڈوں پر اتر آی ہے”
کا راگ الاپنے والی کل کی اپوزیشن اور آج کی حکومت اے آر وای کی بندش، گھر گھر چھاپے اور لانگ مارچ روکنے جیسے اقدامات کا کس منہ سے دفاع کرے گی۔۔— Waseem Badami (@WaseemBadami) May 24, 2022
