ARY TV, Pakistan’s private news channel, was taken off the air today for broadcasting former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s speech on Sunday. The development comes hours after Pakistan’s media regulator banned broadcasts of the ousted prime minister’s speeches. Such actions against the broadcaster has been taken against the broadcaster previously as well.
Pakistan’s media channel bans Imran Khan
After the Islamabad Police failed to arrest him, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) banned satellite television channels from broadcasting live and recorded speeches of the 70-year-old politician last night.
“It has been observed that Mr Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in his speeches/statements is continuously… levelling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officers which is prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity,” the PEMRA order read.
“Therefore, the competent authority i.e. Chairman PEMRA…hereby prohibits broadcast/rebroadcast of speech(s)/press talks (recorded or live) of Mr Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.”
Imran Khan target of PEMRA
Khan has previously also been a target of PEMRA’s retaliation. The regulatory body had barred the broadcast and redistribution of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader’s news conferences and speeches from last November. However, the Federal government had lifted the embargo immediately.
After Imran Khan missed the court order, therefore yesterday the Islamabad Police travelled to Lahore with a non-bailable arrest order to take him into custody.
The former PM, however, was not at home. Afterwards, he reappeared and made a vicious statement from outside his house. The news channel broadcast this speech, which caused the suspension.
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