Imran Khan’s live speeches will no longer be broadcast on any satellite television networks, according to Pakistan’s media watchdog, hours after he made threats against state institutions and elected politicians while speaking at a rally in Islamabad.
Speaking to a crowd of people in this city on Saturday, Khan promised to file lawsuits against senior police officers, a female magistrate, the Pakistani Election Commission, and political rivals over the treatment of his aide Shahbaz Gill, who was detained last week on sedition-related allegations.
In a statement released on Saturday, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) said that despite repeated warnings, television networks had not implemented a time-delay system to halt the broadcast of content critical of “state institutions.”
It stated, “It has been noted that Mr. Imran Khan, Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, is continuously accusing state institutions in his speeches/statements by smoothening baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his incendiary comments against state institutions and officers, which is detrimental to the maintenance of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and tranquilly.
Khan’s speeches, according to the regulator, violated Article 19 of the Constitution and the media code of conduct.
The statement continued, “The competent authority, i.e. Chairman PEMRA, in view of the foregoing background and reasons, in exercise of delegated powers of the power conferred in Section 27(a) of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002 as amended by PEMRA (Amendment) Act 2007, hereby prohibits broadcasting of live speeches of Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.
However, PEMRA stated that in order to assure monitoring and editorial control, Khan’s taped address would only be allowed to be aired after an efficient delay mechanism.
The gathering on Saturday was organised by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party to show support for Gill and to oppose what Khan called the “imported regime” of prime minister Shehbaz Sharif, which he said was “blatantly fascist.”
In a covert allusion to the coalition government, Khan referred to the Pakistani Army during the rally as “neutrals” and asked his followers to support the country rather than the “gang of thieves.”
He also criticised the judiciary, calling it “biassed.”
