Ajit Karn
Islamabad: Hours after Pakistan’s media regulator banned broadcasts of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speeches, the private news channel ARY TV was removed off the air on Monday for broadcasting his speech the previous day.
After Islamabad police failed to apprehend the 70-year-old former cricketer-turned-politician, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Sunday night prohibited satellite television channels from transmitting live and recorded speeches of the former cricketer-turned-politician.
Instead of being available, ARY displays a message stating that it has been banned by the regulator.
The ARY channel is perceived to be sympathetic to Khan, and action has been taken against the network in the past.
Imran Khan appealed to the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday against the Pemra’s decision to prohibit all satellite TV channels from airing his speeches.
Tuesday, Justice Shahid Bilal Hassan will hear the case.
An order from Pemra stated, “It has been observed that Mr Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in his speeches/statements is continuously…leveling 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 likely to disturb public peace and tranquilly.”
It stated that broadcasting bigoted, slanderous, and unwarranted statements against state institutions is “in direct violation of Article 19 of the Constitution and a Supreme Court ruling.”
In violation of PEMRA laws and apex court rulings, it has been observed that such content has been broadcast by television channels without the effective use of a time-delay mechanism, according to the regulator.
The PEMRA order stated, “Therefore, the competent authority, i.e. Chairman PEMRA, prohibits the broadcast/rebroadcast of speech(s)/press conferences (recorded or live) of Mr Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.”
As required by Clause 17 of the 2015 Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisement) Code of Conduct, it also instructed all satellite TV channels to form impartial editorial boards to ensure their platforms are not used to broadcast contemptuous remarks or hateful or prejudicial statements against state institutions or in the interest of public law and order.
Pemra warned the television stations that their licences would be suspended if they did not comply.
This is not the first time PEMRA has taken action against Khan. It had also prohibited the broadcast and rebroadcast of the PTI chairman’s speeches and press conferences in November of last year, but the federal government revoked the ban on the same day.
On Sunday morning, police from Islamabad travelled to Lahore to apprehend Imran Khan on suspicion that he had evaded court appearances.
However, the police were informed that Imran Khan was not at his residence; however, Imran Khan later appeared outside his home and delivered a fiery speech, resulting in the prohibition.
Imran Khan has been in the crosshairs for purchasing presents, including a costly Graff wristwatch he had received as the premier at a discounted price from the state depository called Toshakhana and selling them for profit.
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Imran Khan was removed from office in April of 2017 after losing a vote of no confidence, which he claimed was part of a US-led plot to remove him from office due to his independent foreign policy decisions regarding Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
Since his removal, Imran Khan has demanded immediate elections to remove what he calls a “imported administration” headed by Shehbaz Sharif as prime minister.
Shehbaz Sharif has maintained that elections will be conducted later this year after the five-year term of the current parliament expires.
