ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s electronic media regulator on Sunday banned TV channels from airing recorded or live speeches of former prime minister Imran Khan, accusing him of leveling “baseless accusations and spreading hate speech” against state institutions and officers.
Khan, ousted via a parliamentary vote of confidence in April 2022, has criticized Pakistan’s powerful military for not intervening to save his government. The bulk of Khan’s criticism has been directed at former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, whom Khan accuses of colluding with his political rivals to dismiss him.
In November last year, Khan accused a senior counterintelligence officer, Maj. Gen. Faisal Naseer, of being behind an attempt on his life. The military and government have rejected Khan’s allegations in numerous instances.
In its latest notification, PEMRA accused Khan of “leveling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements” against state institutions and officers.
“Therefore, 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/rebroadcast of speech(s)/press talks (recorded or live) of Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect,” it added.
It added that Khan’s statements were “prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order” and are “likely to disturb public peace and tranquility.”
The authority called on TV channels to ensure an “impartial editorial board” is constituted to ensure their platforms are not used for “uttering remarks in any manner which are contemptuous and against any state institution and hateful, prejudicial to law-and-order situation in the country”.
It warned that in case TV channels failed to abide by the order, their licenses would be canceled.
In a Twitter post, Khan’s aide Chaudhry Fawad Hussain accused the government of suppressing the former premier’s voice. “We will challenge this order in court, the media should also challenge this order,” he wrote.
The development took place hours after Khan evaded arrest by Islamabad police outside his Lahore residence, who arrived to take him into custody on the court’s orders.
An Islamabad court issued non-bailable arrest warrants for Khan on February 28. The warrants related to a case over his repeated absence in the Toshakhana (state repository) case, which involves the sale of gifts Khan received as the prime minister.
Supporters of former Pakistan's prime minister Imran Khan gather around police van outside his house in Lahore on March 5, 2023. (Photo courtesy: AFP)
In a landmark ruling in October last year, Pakistan’s election watchdog had disqualified Khan from holding a public office over his failure to declare proceeds from the sale of these gifts in his statement of assets filed with the regulator.
As hundreds of Khan supporters rallied outside his Lahore residence, the ex-prime minister evaded arrest and Islamabad police returned empty-handed.
