New Delhi: After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's remarks against state institutions, the nation's electronic media watchdog announced on Sunday that it banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live and recorded speeches of the ousted Prime Minister with immediate effect. Khan while addressing his party workers outside his residence in Lahore said that he has never bowed before any man or institution, reported news agency PTI. He also accused government leaders of stashing their wealth overseas and being protected in legal suites by former Army Chief Gen (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa.
Post these remarks, Islamabad police reached Khan's residence to arrest him in the Toshakhana case however, they returned after his legal team assured them that he will appear before the court on Tuesday. Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) referred to previous directives wherein all licencees were directed to “refrain from telecasting any content against state institutions.”
PEMRA said that Khan in his speech was “levelling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officers which is prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity.” It added that airing of hateful, slanderous, and unwarranted statements against state institutions is “in sheer violation of Article 19 of the Constitution and a judgment of the Supreme Court”.
PEMRA warned TV channels that failure to comply might result in the suspension of their licence.
It's not the first time that PEMRA has prohibited television networks from airing Khan's speeches.
In August of last year, Khan threatened to file proceedings against senior police officers, a woman magistrate, and the Pakistani Election Commission over the treatment of his aide Shehbaz Gill, who was later arrested on sedition-related charges.
Khan (70) has come under fire for buying presents from the state depository Toshakhana at a discount and then reselling them for a profit, including an expensive Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier.
Khan was given a non-bailable arrest warrant by the Islamabad Sessions court last week, and the hearing was postponed until March 7 due to his continuous failure to appear in court.
Khan was speaking to the group of workers arrested as part of the "Jail Bharo Tehreek" (court arrest movement) at his residence when Islamabad Police reached to deliver the court's decision.