ISLAMABAD: A Pakistani court on Monday suspended a government order to ban live broadcast of former prime minister Imran Khan’s speeches after he allegedly threatened a judge and top officials of Islamabad police at a public rally.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) imposed the ban on Khan’s live speeches on August 21 for what it said was tantamount to spreading “hate speech” through his provocative statements against the state institutions.
Referring to the relevant clauses of the law, PEMRA had said it “prohibits the broadcast of live speech of Mr.Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.”
During the hearing on Monday, Khan’s counsel Faisal Fareed informed Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah that Khan was holding an international telethon on Monday night to raise funds for the flood victims and requested the judge to order removal of the ban on his live broadcast.
“If a person is not convicted, PEMRA cannot impose such a ban,” the chief justice remarked, issuing notices to the watchdog and its director to defend their position in the court in next hearing on September 5.
Khan had called out top Islamabad police officials and a judge, who had remanded his chief of staff Dr. Shahbaz Gill in police custody in a sedition case, for alleged mistreatment and torture of Gill in custody.
During the hearing, Chief Justice Minallah also remarked that allegations of torture on Gill were serious, but “threatening a judge is also unforgivable.”
“The whole saga has made Shahbaz Gill’s fair trial controversial,” the judge added.
The case against Khan’s aide relates to comments he made on ARY News earlier this month, asking army officers not to follow orders of their top command if they were “against the sentiments of the masses.”
The country’s national media regulator had described the statement as “seditious” and said it was tantamount to inciting revolt within the military. The regulator also issued a show-cause notice to the channel, ARY News, for airing the “illegal” content. The channel has since been off air.
