LAHORE (Daily Point) — The Lahore High Court has directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) not to exert pressure on television channels to prevent the broadcast of speeches by Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, as reported by local News paper The News on Friday.
This court order was issued during the hearing of petitions challenging the ban on airing Khan’s addresses on television. Pemra, however, refuted the existence of any such ban on electronic media.
Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of the LHC disposed of the petitions, stating that detailed directions regarding the telecast of PTI leader’s speeches would be provided in a comprehensive judgment.
The federal government, the information ministry, and other involved parties, including Pemra, have submitted their responses.
Ahmad Pansota, the advocate for the PTI founder, emphasized that it is a legal obligation for political parties to receive airtime based on the principle of equality. He noted that the high court had suspended the notification regarding the ban on Khan’s speeches, yet TV channels were still refraining from broadcasting them.
Assistant Attorney General Sheraz Zaka argued that the Faizabad case judgment should be applied to Imran Khan since he used derogatory language against state institutions, justifying the ban on his speeches by the relevant authority.
In March of the previous year, the LHC had previously suspended Pemra’s order, which banned the broadcast of Imran Khan’s speeches.
The regulatory body had imposed a ban on the live broadcast of the deposed prime minister’s speeches after he criticized state institutions amid the controversy surrounding his arrest in the Toshakhana case from Zaman Park.
Following this, Khan filed a petition in the LHC to overturn the ban, alleging that Pemra had exceeded its constitutional powers by imposing such restrictions.
Due to Pemra’s failure to comply with court orders, Khan filed a contempt of court petition against the media watchdog in the LHC, claiming that despite court orders, the ban on his speeches had not been lifted.
