Sindh High Court Overturns PEMRA Ban on Imran Khan’s Speeches

The Sindh High Court has intervened to counter the ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on the broadcasting of speeches by Imran Khan, the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), and has lifted the prohibition.

The court expressed dissatisfaction with the absence of a legal representative from the federal government.

It’s worth noting that PEMRA had imposed a ban on airing statements and speeches by former Prime Minister Imran Khan on May 31, citing allegations of spreading baseless accusations and hate speech against state institutions and officers, posing a threat to law and order and public peace.

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

PEMRA argued that broadcasting such content violated Article 19 of the Constitution and a Supreme Court judgment.

The media regulator pointed out that TV channels had telecasted such content without utilizing an effective time-delay mechanism, contravening PEMRA laws and court judgments.

In related developments, an Islamabad accountability court issued arrest warrants for Imran Khan in the Toshakhana and 190-million-pound Al-Qadir Trust cases. The court directed the jail superintendent to take legal steps for compliance.

The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) filed an application to comply with the arrest warrant, seeking immediate arrest. The warrants are expected to be executed in jail, with Imran Khan being provided with a copy of the warrant and briefed on the reasons for his arrest.

Additionally, in the Al-Qadir Trust case, NAB presented an 11-question questionnaire to Bushra Bibi.

During her appearance at the NAB office, she was queried about her relations with Farah Gogi, the reasons for establishing Al-Qadir Trust, her academic background in jurisprudence or pedagogy, continued benefits from the trust as a teacher, satisfaction with Farah Gogi’s financial affairs, Malik Riaz’s interest in the trust, and any contact with him. The former first lady complied with the summons to the NAB Rawalpindi office in connection with the 190 million-pound case.