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PoliticsPakistan

Pakistan bans Imran Khan broadcasts

March 6, 2023

The state media watchdog has banned TV stations from showing speeches by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, accusing him of "leveling baseless allegations."

https://p.dw.com/p/4OJ49
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan (C) addresses his supporters during an anti-government march towards capital Islamabad, demanding early elections, in Gujranwala on November 1, 2022.
Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has been recently banned from broadcasting speeches by PEMRAImage: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

Pakistan's Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a ban on media broadcasts of Imran Khan.

The ban came into effect on Monday, with the regulator accusing the former prime minister of "spreading hate speech."

It comes after Khan held a provocative speech in the city of Lahore in his campaign for early elections.

Earlier on Monday morning, police authorities also made a failed attempt to arrest Khan at his residency in Lahore.

Why are broadcasts of Imran Khan being banned?

The development is a result of the ongoing back-and-forth between Khan and his successor, Shahbaz Sharif.

The order issued by PEMRA said that Khan was "leveling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions and officers" which are "likely to disturb public peace."

PEMRA also suspended the country's private TV station, ARY News, which has been accused of supporting Khan.

Imran Khan: Pakistan's most polarizing politician

In an address to his supporters on Sunday outside his residence in Lahore, Khan said, "I am being summoned in fake cases and the nation should know about them." 

Khan further added that it would "be a bad omen" for Pakistan if the citizens do not raise their voices against "corrupt rulers."

He has also previously accused the current governmentof plotting to kill him.

History repeating itself?

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also criticized the ban, tweeting that it "deplores PEMRA's decision" to ban Khan and that it has "always opposed measures to curb voices in the past."

A similar ban was also imposed in 2020 while Khan was in office.

The previous ban by PEMRA prohibited the broadcast of live or recorded speeches of former premier Nawaz Sharif.

A political tug of war

Fawad Chaudhary, a member of Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, told the Associated Press that the move represents the "nervousness and fear" amongst the current Shahbaz government over Khan winning the upcoming elections.

Since his ouster, Khan has faced several charges by the government.

He has been accused of money laundering, hiding assets, unlawfully selling state gifts, and raising illegal funds for his party in the United States, India, and Europe.

Khan, however, has denied the charges.

aa/rt (dpa, AP, AFP)