ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s media regulator imposed a ban on live broadcast of former prime minister Imran Khan’s speeches late Saturday night, saying he was “spreading hate speech” after he criticized senior police officials and a magistrate while addressing a public rally in the federal capital.
Khan held the rally in Islamabad to show solidarity with his chief of staff, Dr. Shahbaz Gill, who told a television talk show earlier this month that army officers should not follow orders of their top command if they were “against the sentiments of the masses.”
His statement was described as “seditious” by the media regulator before Gill was arrested from Islamabad. Subsequently, the former prime minister and his close aides maintained Gill had been “brutally tortured” during police interrogation, though the government denied the claim.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) circulated a notification on Saturday night, saying Khan was making “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 tranquility.”
“After analyzing the content of the speech it has been observed that the content was telecasted live by the licensees without effective time delay mechanism ... [T]herefore, the competent authority i.e. 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 broadcast of live speech of Mr. Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.”
The notification said, however, that Khan’s recorded speeches were permitted to be aired after effective delay mechanism was put in place to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.
In response to the development, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party urged its followers and workers to subscribe to its YouTube channel while condemning the “fascist” government for trying to ban the speech of its leader on television.
Pakistan’s media regulator imposes ban on live broadcast of ex-PM Khan’s speeches
https://arab.news/bemfb
Pakistan’s media regulator imposes ban on live broadcast of ex-PM Khan’s speeches
- The decision was announced after the former prime minister criticized senior police officials, magistrate at a public rally
- The media regulator said Khan was making ‘baseless allegations and spreading hate speech’ against state institutions
Pakistan president meets UAE counterpart, explores trade, investment opportunities
- Asif Ali Zardari is in UAE on four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties, review bilateral cooperation
- Both sides discuss regional, international developments, reaffirm commitment to promote peace
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari met his UAE counterpart Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday during which both sides explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy and other sectors, Zardari's office said.
Zardari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Monday evening with a high-level delegation on a four-day official visit to the UAE to review trade, economic and security cooperation.
"The leaders discussed ways to further deepen the longstanding and brotherly relations between Pakistan and the UAE," a statement from Zardari's office said about his meeting with the UAE president.
"They reviewed the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation and explored new opportunities in trade, investment, energy, infrastructure, technology, and people-to-people exchanges, highlighting the significant potential for expanding economic and strategic partnership.
Zardari highlighted the significance of Al-Nayhan's visit to Pakistan last month, the statement said, expressing appreciation for the UAE's continued support for strengthening bilateral ties.
It said both sides also exchanged views on a range of regional and international developments, reaffirming their commitment to promoting peace, stability and sustainable development.
The meeting was also attended by Pakistan's First Lady Aseefa Bhutto-Zardari, the Pakistani president's son Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, who is also the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi and Pakistan's ambassador to the UAE.
ZARDARI MEETS AD PORTS CEO
Zardari earlier met AD Ports Group CEO Captain Mohamed Juma Al-Shamisi to discuss the group's investment initiatives in Karachi.
"Both sides agreed that the expansion and modernization of port infrastructure would strengthen trade flows and support Pakistan’s broader economic development and country’s seaborne trade," the President's Secretariat said in a statement.
It added that Zardari described the AD Ports Group's long-term investment and expanding role in Pakistan's maritime and logistics sector as a key pillar of Pakistan–UAE economic cooperation.
Pakistan and the UAE maintain close political and economic relations, with Abu Dhabi playing a pivotal role in supporting Islamabad during periods of financial stress through deposits, oil facilities and investment commitments.
The UAE is Pakistan's third-largest trading partner, after China and the United States, and a key destination for Pakistani exports, particularly food, textiles and construction services.
The Gulf state is also home to more than 1.5 million Pakistani expatriates, one of the largest overseas Pakistani communities in the world, who contribute billions of dollars annually in remittances, a crucial source of foreign exchange for Pakistan’s economy.
Beyond trade and labor ties, Pakistan and the UAE have steadily expanded defense and security cooperation over the years, including military training, joint exercises and collaboration in counter-terrorism and regional security matters.
