PEMRA bans ARY NEWS for airing Imran Khan’s speech despite ban.

ISLAMABAD – The licence of ARY News was suspended by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on Monday for airing statements by the defiant Pakistani leader Imran Khan.

The country’s media watchdog ordinance, Section 10, was used to issue the order.

The notification states, “Reference is invited to Restriction Order dated 05-03-2023 wherein all the licensees were advised to cease from airing/broadcasting/rebroadcasting any speech(s)/press talks(live or recorded) of Mr. Imran Khan on their respective TV stations with immediate effect.

PEMRA claimed that on March 5, 2023, at 9:00 p.m., ARY Communications Ltd. (ARY News) aired excerpts of Imran Khan’s address given at Zaman Park in Lahore. The content that was willfully disobeying the Prohibition Order was mentioned on the news channel.

The change occurs as PEMRA has prohibited all satellite TV channels from airing live or recorded speeches by former prime minister and PTI leader Imran Khan.

In a statement to party members outside his Zaman Park mansion in Lahore, the PTI chairman stated that he had never “bowed before any man or institution” and that he would never permit his supporters to do the same.

Read More: Islamabad Police reaches Lahore to arrest Imran Khan.

PEMRA’s prohibition on Imran Khan’s speeches appearing on electronic media was criticised by the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other activists. The commission stated on Twitter, “We have consistently rejected attempts to muzzle voices in the past, whether under the previous government or before, and we stand by our commitment to freedom of speech.

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