While addressing a protest rally in Islamabad on Saturday, formal prime minister Imran Khan warned the Inspector General (IG) and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Islamabad police, saying that he will not spare them and register a case against them for “torturing” party leader Shahbaz Gill during physical remand, who was arrested last week on charges of sedition.
He also called out Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry for approving the police request of physical remand despite knowing that Gill was subjected to “torture”. “We will not leave you [Zeba] and will also file a case against her.”
Resulting in which, Pakistan’s media watchdog has banned broadcasting live speeches of former prime minister Imran Khan on all satellite television channels with immediate effect, hours after he threatened state institutions and government officials in Islamabad.
WARNING: Strong language
After his speech, the coalition parties demanded action against the former premier. Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah also vowed to take legal action against Imran for “threatening” the woman judge and police officials.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) in a communique issued on Saturday said that television channels despite repeated warnings had failed to implement a time-delay mechanism to stop the broadcast of material against “state institutions”.
“It has been observed that Mr Imran Khan, Chairman Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, in his speeches/statements is continuously alleging state institutions by levelling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officers which is prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order and is likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity,” it said.
The regulator said Khan’s speeches violated Article 19 of the Constitution and were against the code of conduct for media.
