IK back on live TV: High Court suspends ban on IK’s speeches

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Monday (August 29) suspended the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) recent notification that banned television channels from airing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s live speeches.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the notification till September 5 after hearing the arguments and issued notices to the regulatory authority and Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

The IHC chief justice said that PEMRA “does not have the authority” to issue such notifications.

Justice Minallah asked Imran’s counsel if he defended Imran’s comments.

“Can judges be threatened like this,” he asked, recalling the human rights violations that took place in the last three years.

“I am saying this with a heavy heart that judges should not have been threatened. It is disappointing that the [incumbent] government is doing exactly what happened in the last three years,” he said.

Justice Minallah pointed out that a woman judge was threatened. “Did your leader not say that he won’t spare her? If they had said something like this about me, it would have been fine […] But a woman judge?”

The PEMRA ban was issued on August 21 after Imran Khan threatened Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry, DIG and IG Islamabad.

Imran Khan is set to host a telethon today (August 29) to appeal for funds for the flood affectees.