LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday filed a contempt of court petition in Lahore High Court (LHC) against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) over ban on his speeches.
PTI chief Imran Khan filed the plea through his counsel Barrister Ahmad Pansota against the electronic media regulatory watchdog and its Chairman has been made respondent in the plea.
In the petition, Imran Khan has urged the Lahore High Court (LHC) to initiate contempt proceedings against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) over disobeying a court order, suspending a ban on broadcasting his interviews, speeches and press talks.
Imran has challenged PEMRA’s prohibition in the Lahore High Court (LHC), and on March 9, LHC’s Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza had suspended PEMRA’s prohibition order.
However, the former prime minister alleges that the order has not been complied with, and that TV channels are not airing his speeches because the respondents – PEMRA Chairman Saleem Baig and Director Operations Muhammad Tahir, along with other PEMRA officials – have threatened them with dire consequences if they do so.
The PTI chief contended that the respondents’ actions are contemptuous, illegal, “ultra vires” the law and the Constitution. He further argued that the respondents’ actions are contrary to Article 10-A of the Constitution, and are therefore illegal, without jurisdiction, against his fundamental rights, and of no legal effect.
He contended that the respondents’ actions have unfairly and unjustly treated the PTI chaimran and violated his constitutional right to be treated equally before the law in light of Article 25 of the Constitution.
