Dawn Images

The effects of the war in the Middle East have started to affect the Pakistani media industry with the postponement of the ARY Entertainment Awards.

In a post shared on Instagram by ARY Digital, the organisers announced the awards, which were to be held in Dubai, had been postponed “due to the current situation in the region”.

The post went on to say that “the safety and well-being of our guests, partners and community remain our utmost concern”. The announcement did not mention when the awards would be held, choosing instead to say the new date will be announced “soon”.

The ARY Entertainment Awards were originally scheduled to be held at Dubai’s Coca Cola Arena on May 9, with the date and venue having been announced on February 13, a couple of weeks before a joint US-Israeli attack on Iran unleashed chaos in the region.

Iran’s retaliatory strikes on countries hosting US forces — which includes the UAE — have resulted in a turbulent security outlook for Gulf cities like Dubai and Abu Dhabi where people have been killed or wounded by the strikes themselves or from the debris of intercepted missiles and drones.

It is unclear whether the conflict will cool down in the coming days, with US President Donald Trump repeatedly claiming his government is negotiating with Iran, a claim Tehran has denied.

A 15-point American peace plan was sent to Iranian authorities on Wednesday, reportedly through Islamabad, which has since been countered with five conditions that Tehran sees as essential to ending the war.

Troubles with award shows in Dubai aren’t new, though. Even before the war, the Pakistan International Screen Awards — scheduled for November 22 last year — were abruptly postponed two days before the ceremony after a number of attendees faced trouble obtaining visas to travel to the UAE.