Lahore High Court (LHC) has suspended the notification of the electronic media regulator barring the airing of speeches by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former premier Imran Khan.
The former premier had challenged the notification issued by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) after his speech at his Lahore residence – Zaman Park – zeroing in on a military official.
In a notification issued on Sunday, the regulatory body had claimed Imran Khan was constantly making baseless allegations and hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officials, which, it said, is prejudicial to maintaining law and order, and is likely to disturb peace and tranquillity.
PTI chairman moved the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday against PEMRA’s ban on all satellite television channel from broadcasting his speeches, statement and public addresses.
The petition, filed through barrister Muhammed Ahmed Pansota, contended that in the judgment reported as “Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi Vs PEMRA”, then Chief Justice of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah had declared a similar PEMRA prohibition order as “ultra vires the Ordinance” (over-stretching itself beyond the powers conferred upon it) on similar grounds.
Imran’s counsel stated in the petition that PEMRA had issued the impugned order in excess of the jurisdiction vested in it and without having regard to the constitutional rights guaranteed under Articles 19 and 19-A of the Constitution.
