Web Desk (LTN NEWS): Leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) call the ban “fascism,” while the rival party laughs it off. On Sunday, Twitter was full of people talking about the decision by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to stop all satellite TV channels from showing live speeches by Imran Khan, the former prime minister, and leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The ban happened after the former prime minister warned the IG and DIG of the Islamabad police that he would not let them off easy and would file a case against them for “torturing” party leader Shahbaz Gill while he was in physical remand.
He had also criticized Additional District and Sessions, Judge Zeba Chaudhry, for agreeing to the police’s request for physical remand even though she knew Gill was “tortured.”
Shireen Mazari, a senior member of the PTI, said that the ban was just another attempt to “silence” Imran Khan and the party. “Instead of changing course, conspirators refuse to stop putting more pressure on” the PTI, she said.
While this was going on, Fawad Chaudhry got into a Twitter fight with journalist Hamid Mir. Mir had called the Pemra ban “tit for tat,” comparing it to the ban that was put on rival party leader Nawaz Sharif’s speeches two years ago.
Fawad replied, “Nawaz Sharif is banned because he is a prisoner. Imran Khan is banned because people are afraid of what he says.” The ban has done nothing but draws more attention to the rulers.
The move by Pemra also looked like it was being used by the PTI to get more support.
The party called it a “fascist” move and asked its supporters to join its YouTube channel to get around the ban.
Government avenged
Ministers and top PML-N leaders seemed to be happy with the decision made by the media regulatory authority.
“The judiciary must now know what the real Sicilian mafia is,” Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb wrote in a tweet.
“By challenging national institutions and the authority of the state, they are inciting the people to violence, lawlessness, rebellion, and riots,” she said, adding that “Imran Khan wants a civil war in the country.”
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said the same thing about the alleged attempts “to challenge the writ of the state by inciting rebellion” and said that Imran “will have to face the law for threatening and insulting the Magistrate and Police officers.”
Khwaja Saad Rafique, another PML-N leader, said, “They want to take over every institution in this country.” He called for a judge to be punished for being threatened.
Farhatullah Babar, a former senator, also pointed out that the PTI’s policies seem to be at odds with each other. Imran Khan said that he owed “a word of gratitude” to everyone who disagreed with his decision to approve a five-year prison sentence for criticizing state institutions.
Babar also said that the judge’s words were “misogynistic” and “dishonorable.”
The ruling coalition wants to punish Imran
On Saturday, the coalition parties of the current government asked the highest court to look into the threat that former PM Imran Khan made against a female magistrate during his speech at a PTI rally at F-9 Park.
A joint statement released yesterday said, “Take legal action against Imran Khan and his colleagues for meddling in the affairs of the interior minister and threatening the officers and government staff who are doing their jobs legally.”
It also said that Imran Khan should follow the law and the Constitution.
In his speech on Saturday night, Imran named and threatened a female magistrate, and he also tried to scare off the Islamabad IG and DIG. This was strongly condemned in the joint statement.
