LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Hammad Azhar lambasted Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) for imposing what he termed an ‘unconstitutional ban’ ban on PTI chief Imran Khan’s speeches and announced that PTI chief Imran Khan will address PTI workers and supporters on social media today, ARY News reported on Wednesday.
Hammad Azhar strongly criticised PEMRA for banning PTI chief Imran Khan’s speeches on airing live and recorded on TV channels and termed the move ‘unconstitutional’.
The PTI’s senior leader berated the caretaker government and said that the multiple ‘Gullu butt’ and police officials jointly cracked down on the peaceful PTI rally.
“Today, for the first time, during the caretaker government, we have seen martial law,” Hamada Azhar said.
Hammad Azhar claimed that the police had arrested at least 100 PTI activists at PTI’s peaceful rally from Lahore’s Canal road, adding that the security officials shot a ‘chemical-water cannon’ at party workers and supporters.
The former power minister alleged that Punjab’s caretaker government is acting on someone else’s dictation.
A female party activist was also injured due to the heavy shelling, PTI senior leader Dr Yasmin Rashid took the female party activist to the hospital for medical assistance.
The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a ban on broadcasting ‘live and recorded’ speeches and press conferences of former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect, ARY News reported on Sunday.
“It has been observed that Imran Khan [Chairman PTI] 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,” stated the notification issued by the regulatory authority.
PEMRA noted that airing of “baseless allegations, the hateful, slanderous and unwarranted statement” against state institutions and officers was in sheer violation of Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan and a judgment of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) passed in Suo Moto Case.
