Here's why Pakistan media body banned live broadcast of Imran Khan’s speeches

By Team Newsable | First Published Aug 21, 2022, 1:01 PM IST

The ban has been imposed hours after Imran Khan vowed to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for torturing Shahbaz Gill.

Pakistan's media regulatory body has taken action against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan by banning live broadcasts of the former prime minister's rallies after he threatened an Islamabad police official and a female magistrate during an address in Islamabad.

In order to maintain adequate monitoring and editorial control, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) stated that the recorded speech will only be permitted to be aired after an appropriate delay system.

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According to local media cited by ANI, the PTI leader has also been charged with threatening a judge and two senior police officers at a public assembly held at the F-9 Park late on Saturday night. Khan was detained in accordance with the Anti-Terrorism Act, according to The News International.

“…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 the broadcast of live speech of Mr Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect,” the PEMRA said in its notification.

Here's why the ban has been imposed

Hours after pledging to bring legal action against Islamabad's inspector general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for "torturing" Shahbaz Gill, PEMRA issued this suspension on all satellite stations. Speaking to the crowd of onlookers outside Islamabad's F-9 park, he declared, "We will not spare the IG and DIG."

The former prime minister criticised Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry for approving Gill's two-day physical remand last week at the request of the capital police and warned her that a case will be filed against her as well, according to Geo News.

In solidarity of the imprisoned politician Shahbaz Gill, who the PTI said had been the victim of "gruesome abuse" while in police detention, the party held a protest in Islamabad.

He continued by saying that Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif, and Rana Sanaullah would all be subject to legal action if a case could be brought against Gill. He said that this is a "decisive time" for the citizens of the nation and claimed that "they [the coalition administration] are attempting to frighten us by torturing Gill."

According to Geo News, Imran claimed that Gill was "caught and tortured" to convey a message and inspire fear in the populace that if he could be psychologically damaged, anybody might. After making contentious comments on television against the Pakistani army that the nation's media regulator regarded to be "extremely hostile and seditious," Gill was detained by the police on August 9.

(With agency inputs)

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