Pakistan Media Body Bans Live Broadcast Of Former PM Imran Khan’s Speeches, Case Filed

The ban has been imposed hours after Imran Khan vowed to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for torturing Shahbaz Gill

Ex PM Imran Khan had blamed the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff’s appointment and termed it “unfortunate” ( Image Source :ANI )

New Delhi: Taking action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Pakistan’s media regulatory authority has banned broadcasting live speeches of the former prime minister for threatening an Islamabad police official and a female magistrate during an address in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) noted that the recorded speech would only be allowed to be aired after an effective delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control, reported news agency ANI.

The PTI chief is also booked for threatening a judge and two top police officials in a public meeting held at the F-9 Park late Saturday evening, ANI reported citing local media. According to The News International, Khan was booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA).

Why was the ban imposed?

In its notification, the order said,“…Chairman PEMRA in view of the above-mentioned background and reasons, in exercise of delegated powers of the Authority vested in Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits the broadcast of live speech of Mr Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.”

The ban has been on all satellite channels hours after Khan vowed to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for “torturing” Shahbaz Gill.

“We will not spare the IG and DIG,” he said in his address to public at Islamabad’s F-9 park.

The former Prime Minister also hit out at Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, who last week had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the behest of the capital police, and pointed out that she, too, should be prepared as the case will also be registered against her, Geo News reported.

The PTI had organised the rally to voice protest against the alleged “gruesome torture” of imprisoned leader Shahbaz Gill in police custody.

The leader also said if a case can be registered against Gill, then, Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif, and Rana Sanaullah will also face judicial proceedings. “They [coalition government] is trying to scare us by torturing Gill,” he said, adding that this is a “decisive moment” for the people of the country.

Khan maintained that what happened with Gill wasn’t because of what he said since coalition leaders in the government had “said much more than that to really deal damage to the army”.

Imran Khan On Appointment Of Chief Of Army Staff

Imran alleged that Gill was ‘caught and tortured’ to send a message and frighten the people that if he could be broken mentally then anyone could, according to Geo News.

Earlier on Saturday, Khan blamed the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff’s appointment and termed it “unfortunate” that everything in the country was happening over one appointment.

Talking to social media influencers in the federal capital, the former Prime Minister said the army chief should be appointed on the basis of merit. “A drama begins on the appointment of army chief which does not happen in any part of the world,” said the PTI chief.

The police arrested Gill on August 9 after he made controversial remarks against the Pakistan army on television that were deemed as “highly hateful and seditious” by the country’s media authority. Imran’s close aide was arrested on charges of colluding with a private TV news channel in carrying out anti-state propaganda.