The government on Saturday instructed the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (Pemra) to reverse a ban on television channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting PTI Chairman Imran Khan\u2019s press conferences.
\nAccording to a statement released by Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif ordered the media watchdog to ensure the continued implementation of legal requirements under Article 19 (freedom of speech) of the Constitution.
\nThe statement said that the direction to lift the ban was given under Section 5 of the Pemra Ordinance 2002.
\n\u201cThe prime minister has established a new tradition by ending the bitter traditions of Imran Khan\u2019s era,\u201d the information minister said, adding that the government did not believe in \u201cwhat Imran Khan did during his four years in power\u201d with the then opposition leaders and politicians.
\n\u201cWe believe in democratic principles and constitutional freedoms of expression. Banning political opponents, leaders, activists and media has been Imran Khan\u2019s negative thinking and attitude.
\n\u201cIf Imran Khan wants to speak against political opponents, then let him speak. Let Imran Khan\u2019s speech against us reach the public so that the reality of this menace becomes clear to them,\u201d Aurangzeb said.
\nShe added that the government had democratic thinking unlike \u201cfascist Imran Khan\u201d.
\nHours earlier, a Pemra notice, available with Dawn.com, said that Imran during his long march speeches and a day ago had \u201cmade aspersions against the state institutions by levelling baseless allegations for orchestrating an assassination plan\u201d.
\nA day ago in his first press conference since the assassination attempt on him at Wazirabad, Imran doubled down on his accusations against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and a senior intelligence official who he identified as Major General Faisal Naseer \u2014 without giving any evidence \u2014 of hatching a plot to eliminate him, and demanded they immediately resign to ensure a fair investigation.
\nHe also asked army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa to take notice of the attack and the alleged involvement of a military officer, whom he called \u201cblack sheep\u201d in the army. He also urged Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to provide him justice.
\nSince he claimed a first information report of the attack was not being registered over fears of a backlash from the \u2018higher powers\u2019, Imran urged the army chief to remove spy agency officer Maj Gen Faisal Naseer and investigate him for allegedly hatching a conspiracy to kill him.
\nPemra, in its notice, reproduced the above comments along with further transcriptions of Imran\u2019s speeches or talks at different points during his long march to Islamabad.
\nIt added that airing such content was likely to create \u201chatred among the people\u201d or was prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or was likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or endanger national security, further saying that it violated several laws and articles.
\nPemra termed Imran\u2019s comments as \u201chateful, slanderous, vilifying and unwarranted statements against country\u2019s leadership and state institutions,\u201d adding that they were in sheer violation of various laws.
\nThe notice said that tv channels had aired Imran\u2019s comments without any editorial oversight or time delay mechanism and thus it was prohibiting the broadcast of his speeches with immediate effect.
\n\u201cIn case of any violation, observed licence may be suspended \u2026 without any show-cause notice in the public interest along with other enabling provisions of law,\u201d the notice reads.
\nResponding to the development, PTI Senator Faisal Javed said the party would challenge the ban in court and that \u201cmillions still would continue to watch Imran\u2019s speeches on digital media.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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