LHC reserves judgement on Imran Khan's plea against PEMRA ban

Lahore [Pakistan], March 9, : The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday reserved its judgement on Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan's petition challenging the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority's (PEMRA) ban on airing his live speeches and news conferences on satellite TV networks, reported ARY News.
Soon, Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza is expected to pronounce the verdict soon.
According to PEMRA ban, the former prime minister and PTI leader will no longer be able to deliver "live and recorded" speeches or press conferences on any satellite TV stations.
According to a report published in ARY News, a notification issued by the PEMRA regulatory authority, it has been noted that Imran Khan frequently accuses state institutions in his speeches and statements by making baseless claims and promoting hate speech by making provocative statements against state officers and institutions, which is detrimental to the upkeep of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and tranquilly.
Imran Khan then filed a complaint with the Lahore High Court against the PEMRA notification that forbade his live addresses from being broadcasted.
Ahmed Pansota and Ishtiaq A Khan filed the petition, claiming that the PEMRA announcement violates Article 10(A) of the Pakistani Constitution, which grants the right to free speech.
The petition further claimed that the PEMRA decree contravenes the judgement of the Islamabad High Court (IHC).
Notably, in August last year Pakistan's media regulatory authority had banned the airing of live speeches of Imran Khan for threatening an Islamabad police official and a female magistrate during an address in Islamabad.
PEMRA said that Imran's recorded speech would only be permitted to be aired after an effective delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.
"....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 Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect," the PEMRA said in its notification.
PEMRA imposes this ban on all satellite channels hours after he vowed to file cases against Islamabad's inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for "torturing" Shahbaz Gill.
"We will not spare the IG and DIG," he said while addressing the public gathering at Islamabad's F-9 park.
The former PM called out Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhary, and said she too should prepare herself as the case will also be registered against her, Geo News reported.
Imran's close aide was arrested on charges of colluding with a private TV news channel in carrying out anti-state propaganda.