No ban on telecasting Imran’s speeches, Pemra tells LHC

LAHORE: Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza of the Lahore High Court disposed of the petitions filed against the ban on telecasting speeches of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan.

The court observed that directions with regard to telecasting the speeches of the PTI leader would be issued in a detailed judgment.

The federal government, the information ministry and other parties, including Pemra, have submitted their responses. The PTI founder’s advocate Ahmad Pansota said it is a legal requirement for political parties to get airtime on the principle of equality. He said the high court has suspended the notification with regard to the ban on telecasting the PTI leader’s speeches, and despite the court order TV channels had been restrained from telecasting Khan’s speeches.

Assistant Attorney General Sheraz Zaka said the Faizabad case judgment should be enforced on the PTI leader as he used a derogatory speech against the state institutions; therefore, his speeches were banned by the authority concerned.

News Desk adds: The Lahore High Court has ordered Pemra not to pressurise TV channels to bar telecast of PTI leader Imran Khan’s speeches. Pemra stated that there was no ban on telecasting speeches of Khan on electronic media.