Pakistan instructs media regulatory to lift ban on Imran Khan's press conferences

Pakistan government on Saturday instructed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory and Authority (PEMRA) to lift the ban on channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting PTI Chairman Imran Khan's press conferences.

According to Dawn citing Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb's statement, 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.

The statement said that the direction to lift the ban was given under Section 5 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002.

"The prime minister has established a new tradition by ending the bitter traditions of Imran Khan's era," the information minister said, adding that the government did not believe in "what Imran Khan did during his four years in power" with the then opposition leaders and politicians.

"We believe in democratic principles and constitutional freedoms of expression. Banning political opponents, leaders, activists and media have been Imran Khan's negative thinking and attitude," Dawn quoted the minister as saying.

"If Imran Khan wants to speak against political opponents, then let him speak. Let Imran Khan's speech against us reach the public so that the reality of this menace becomes clear to them," Aurangzeb said.

Earlier, on Friday, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory and Authority (PEMRA) issued a notice to prohibit news channels from airing former Prime Minister Imran Khan's press conference.

In the notice, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory and Authority said that Imran Khan during his long march and a day ago had "made aspersions against the state institutions by levelling baseless allegations for orchestrating an assassination plan," according to Dawn.

The media regulatory added that airing such content will only create "hatred among the people" or disturb the peace and tranquillity or endanger national security, further saying that it violated several laws and articles, according to Dawn.

"In case of any violation, the observed licence may be suspended ... without any show-cause notice in the public interest along with other enabling provisions of law," the notice reads.

This came a day after the media regulatory authority prohibited news channels from airing Umar's video wherein he said that Imran Khan believed "Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the country's Interior Minister and a top ISI General" were behind the attack, the Dawn reported.

Senior PTI leaders said that Imran Khan believes that the bullets were fired at him at the behest of three people including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the country's Interior Minister and a top ISI General and his remarks were based on information he had received.

"Broadcasting of such content is likely to create hatred among the people or is prejudicial to maintenance of law and order or is likely to disturb public peace and tranquility or endangers national security is a serious violation of Article 19 of the Constitution and Section 27 of PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as well as Electronic Media Code of Conduct 2015," The Dawn quoted Media Regulatory as saying.

PTI chief was injured after a man opened fire at him in Gujranwala. The former prime minister sustained injuries on his leg and has been shifted to a hospital for treatment, Geo News reported.

Asad, quoting the PTI chairman, demanded that all three people -- the premier, the interior minister, and the senior military officer -- should be removed from their offices.

It went on to say that investigation of the attack on the PTI chief was underway and "prior to the completion of investigation such kind of statement of a senior PTI leader circulated on social media may prejudice the investigation and inquiry at this stage", The Dawn reported.

( With inputs from ANI )

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