PEMRA bans live coverage of Imran Khan's speeches

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 21 August 2022

PEMRA has issued a ban on the live telecasting of Imran Khan's speeches due to threats against state institutions. The authority cited violations of Article 19 and relevant PEMRA laws.

Summary

ISLAMABAD—The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed an immediate ban on the live telecast of speeches of ousted prime minister and chairman PTI Imran Khan after threatening state institutions and government officials.

In a six-page notification issued in Sunday's wee hours, PEMRA noted that Khan was persistently leveling baseless accusations in his speeches and making statements against national institutions and spreading hatred.

Khan's speeches violate Article 19 of the Constitution and PEMRA laws. Only the pre-recorded speeches can be broadcast now with effective monitoring and editorial control, per the new PEMRA notification.

The ban comes under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002.

The notification states that the PTI chief's statements are detrimental to maintaining law and order as he constantly incites citizens against institutions and officers in his speeches.

The notification said the former PM's hate speech is against the Supreme Court's verdict in the suo moto case. The contents of Khan's speech are also against the Lahore High Court verdict, it emphasized.

PEMRA also warned news channels of strict action if they did not follow its directives.

PEMRA notification also carries the excerpts from Khan's speech on Saturday at the F9 Park, Islamabad.