Connect with us

Pakistan

IHC suspends PEMRA notification banning airing of Imran Khan’s live speeches

Published

on

  • IHC suspends PEMRA’s order till September 5.
  • Notices issued to PEMRA, attorney-general.
  • IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah issues order.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) suspended the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) recent notification which prohibited television channels from airing PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s live speeches.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the notification till September 5 and observed that the regulatory authority “does not have the authority” to issue such orders.

Barristers Ali Zafar represented Khan at the hearing, which was headed by the IHC CJ. In it, the PTI lawyer argued that Khan wanted to do a live telethon later today to raise funds for flood affectees.

After hearing the arguments, the IHC chief justice suspended the notification and issued notices to the regulatory authority and Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

The PEMRA ban came into place on August 21 after the PTI chairman threatened state institutions and government officials with serious consequences.

PEMRA’s notification said that Khan’s addresses are in open violation of the regulator’s rules and Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan.

According to the regulator, the ban has been put in place under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002. The PEMRA notification cited Khan’s speech at the F9 Park, Islamabad as the reason behind the ban.

Apart from the ban, Khan is also facing contempt of court proceedings for threatening Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry during the same speech.

The IHC has constituted a five-member larger bench to hear the contempt of court case against the former prime minister and issued a notice to him to appear before the court on August 31.

‘Cannot ban speeches based on objectionable comments’

During today’s hearing, the IHC chief justice mentioned that PEMRA “cannot ban speeches based on objectionable comments” and if someone is seeking action, contempt of court proceedings are already underway.

The judge also mentioned that whatever was happening in the case of PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was not right and that torture could not be accepted in any form.

“The culture of our police stations is torture […] when the executive is in power, they forget that in police stations, people get tortured,” the IHC chief justice mentioned.

But Justice Minallah also said that the “biggest torture” in the country is the missing person issue — and he has time and again put blame on the governments in this regard.

He told Khan’s counsel that the PTI “spoiled” its own case of torture regarding Gill when the former prime minister delivered the hard-hitting speech.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest News

According to Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, accusations made against Pakistan by Bushra Bibi, the spouse of the PTI founder, are vile and disgusting because Pakistan has historical relations to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Published

on

By

The defense minister stated at a press conference in Islamabad that the Kingdom should not be involved in politics for selfish reasons because of our historical, religious, and economic ties with Saudi Arabia.

2.8 million Pakistanis work in Saudi Arabia and send millions of dollars in remittances, he added, adding that making unfounded accusations against the country will hurt Pakistan’s economy.

According to him, Saudi Arabia has always stood by Pakistan throughout its most trying moments, and Pakistanis have a deep affection and connection to the Kingdom.

There is a breach among PTI ranks and files, and Khawaja Asif stated that we have never witnessed such a low point in politics.

Given the gravity of the accusation, the Minister said, former Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa should respond right away.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government should fight terrorism rather than target the city, he said, adding that the PTI’s demand for a demonstration on November 24 is the third strike on the federal capital.

Continue Reading

Latest News

The Interior Ministry prohibits KP from using government machinery for PTI protests.

Published

on

By

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is not allowed to use the resources of the Provincial Government for a party protest, according to the Interior Ministry.

On November 24, the PTI has scheduled a protest, and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur has declared his intention to participate.

The Federal Government arrested a number of Provincial Government officials who were ordered to participate in the violent protest in Islamabad by the PTI, and confiscated vehicles used by the KP Government against the state during the previous protest in October.

However, the Jinnah Supermarket Traders Union has petitioned the Islamabad High Court to halt the PTI demonstration in the capital and deem it unlawful.

In the petition, the head of the Traders Union has asked the court to rule that the PTI protest violates fundamental human rights by preventing companies from operating and removing the public’s ability to visit stores for necessities.

The petition asked the high court to protect the capital’s workers and PTI founder from unlawful protests.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Planning Minister: The Nation Is Back on Track for Development

Published

on

By

Ahsan Iqbal, the Federal Minister for Planning and Development, asserts that the country’s youth are its future and that Pakistan has made great strides over the past 77 years, becoming the sixth nuclear state in the world today.

Speaking at a ceremony in Islamabad, Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal stated that inconsistent policies have an impact on the development process.

According to Ahsan Iqbal, the CPEC got Pakistan on its path to growth, and the government is currently moving on with phase two of the project.

The country was in danger of defaulting, but the government has put it back on course, he said.

Continue Reading

Trending