Tag: PEMRA

  • Justice Minallah questions whether Khan will put everything at stake for ‘game of thrones’

    Justice Minallah questions whether Khan will put everything at stake for ‘game of thrones’

    Irked by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s recent remarks about the appointment of a new Chief of Army Staff (COAS), the Chief Justice (CJ) of Islamabad High Court (IHC) Athar Minallah minced no words.

    “Did you hear Imran Khan’s speech from yesterday,” the Chief Justice asked the former prime minister’s lawyer on Monday. “Do political leaders deliver such speeches? Will everything be put at stake just for the sake of “game of thrones’?” The honourable judge asked during the hearing of a petition filed by the PTI against a ban imposed by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) on the live telecast of the speeches of Khan.

    Khan on Sunday said that the government is buying time to “appoint an army chief of their own choice.” He alleged that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari wanted to appoint their favourite as COAS because if a “strong and patriotic army chief” came, they would be questioned about their corruption.

    Read more: ‘Hamari fauj taggri hai’: Shehbaz, Zardari, Shujaat react to Khan’s anti-military remarks

    At today’s hearing, PEMRA’s lawyer informed the court that the regulator issued a show-cause notice to delay the airing of Khan’s live speeches. In response, the IHC CJ asked why the regulator did not ensure that the rule of delaying live speeches was followed.

    The media watchdog’s lawyer said that PEMRA’s orders were not aimed at a particular person.

    The court, addressing PTI’s lawyer, Barrister Ali Zafar, remarked “Let’s not make things difficult as your client also made irresponsible statements.”

    Justice Minallah said that the armed forces personnel were getting martyred “and you [Imran] are bringing their morale down”.

    He also asked the PTI counsel as to why [his party] was harming constitutional institutions. “You will only invite difficulties as a result of your statements,” he observed.

    IHC CJ Minallah said that the armed forces lay their lives for the nation and in case someone is involved in illegal activity, everyone should not be criticised over it.

    “Hold yourself accountable for your actions. You [Khan] want to issue statements as per your wishes and don’t want the regulator to do its job,” the CJ said.

    Meanwhile, the IHC ordered PEMRA to regulate in light of Supreme Court of Pakistan’s verdict and wrapped up Imran Khan’s application.

    On August 29 IHC suspended PEMRA’s recent notification that banned television channels from airing Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s live speeches.

    Read more: IK back on live TV: High Court suspends ban on IK’s speeches

    IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah suspended the notification till September 5 after hearing the arguments and issued notices to the regulatory authority and Attorney-General of Pakistan Ashtar Ausaf Ali.

  • ‘Neutrals ka pressure tha’: Imran Khan blames the establishment for crackdown on PTI

    ‘Neutrals ka pressure tha’: Imran Khan blames the establishment for crackdown on PTI

    Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan blamed the ‘neutrals’ for the crackdown against his party.

    Addressing a political gathering at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh on Sunday (August 21), Khan said that according to the reports he had received, the neutrals were responsible for the crackdown against his party.

    “On May 25, when the police used violence against us, I was told by insiders that the police were ordered from above, which means that neutrals pressurised them to give PTI workers a thrashing,” said Khan. 

    “The chief election commissioner is giving every decision against us … [He] is fully trying to disqualify me. I got information from the inside that he [the CEC] was not doing anything on his own but there was pressure of the boot.”

    Khan further accused the authorities of harassing visitors to Bani Gala, his residence in Islamabad, and said the people who came to meet him “received calls from the intelligence agencies” and are asked why did they go there.

    “People who come to visit my home, police outside my house takes off their shoes. Police is not doing all this. They tell us that we have orders from neutrals.”

    “So I ask you, whether you are neutral or not? If you stand with these people [PDM government], will the nation stop thinking of them as thieves? And now that you are standing with them, will they start considering them pious?”

    YouTube blackout

    After Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) imposed a ban on the live telecast of speeches of PTI Chairman Imran Khan after he threatened the police, bureaucracy, and Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry, YouTube services in parts of the country reportedly faced disruptions during Imran Khan’s speech at Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh.

    NetBlocks, which tracks network disruptions and shutdowns, confirmed reports of YouTube being “briefly” blocked on multiple internet providers during Khan’s speech on Sunday.

    “Real-time network data show the disruption in effect on some but not all mobile and fixed-line internet providers in Pakistan during the live-streamed speech. Access was restored after the speech concluded. The study is taken from a sample size of 100 measurements from 14 vantage points across Pakistan,” a statement issued by the watchdog read.

  • PEMRA imposes ban on live telecast of Imran Khan’s speeches

    PEMRA imposes ban on live telecast of Imran Khan’s speeches

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has imposed a ban with immediate effect on the live telecast of speeches of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Khan after he threatened the police, bureaucracy, and Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry.

    PEMRA issued a six-page notification stating it has been observed that Imran Khan is continuously levelling baseless accusations in his speeches and statements against national institutions and spreading hatred in his speeches.

    According to PEMRA, the ban has been put in place under Section 27 of the PEMRA Ordinance 2002. PEMRA also warned news channels of strict action if the directives were not followed. 

    According to various news reports, the government has lodged a first information report (FIR) against Khan under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) for threatening a judge and two top police officials during his speech yesterday (August 20). 

    Be ready, we will take action against you: Khan

    On August 20, addressing a party rally in the federal capital’s F-9 park to express solidarity with Shahbaz Gill, Khan threatened Additional District and Sessions Judge (ADSJ) Zeba Chaudhry.

    “Zeba! Be ready, we will take action against you.”

    ADSJ Zeba Chaudhry had approved Gill’s two-day physical remand at the request of the capital police.

    Khan threatened that he would “not spare” Islamabad’s inspector-general (IG), deputy inspector general (DIG).

    “IGP and DIG! We will not spare you.” 

    He further said that if a case can be registered against Gill, then Fazlur Rehman, Nawaz Sharif, and Rana Sanaullah will also face judicial proceedings.

    “They [coalition government] are trying to scare us by torturing Gill,” he said, adding that this is a “decisive moment” for the people of the country.

    We did nothing: Police tells Khan

    Khan again called on the “neutrals” (military establishment) to stand with the nation rather than the “gang of thieves”, in reference to the ruling coalition. He said he wanted to ask the neutrals if they were “really neutral”. He also alleged that the Islamabad police was taking orders for action against his party leaders from ‘someone’.

    “When I asked the police to tell me what did they do to Shahbaz Gill’ they said: ‘We did nothing, we got a boot from behind to follow orders’,” Khan said while announcing to move the Supreme Court against the alleged torture of Gill.

  • ARY News taken off air, CEO, journalists booked, head of news arrested

    ARY News taken off air, CEO, journalists booked, head of news arrested

    Karachi police have registered a First Information Report (FIR) against ARY Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salman Iqbal in connection with the controversial remarks made by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Dr Shahbaz Gill during a news transmission.

    The police have also arrested Ammad Yousuf, the head of news and Senior Executive Vice President of ARY News.

    The FIR said that a clip of a news bulletin, aired on August 8 by ARY News, had gone viral on social media, in which Gill had made “hateful remarks” against the Pakistan Army. Producer Adeel Raja, Yousaf, and anchorpersons Arshad Sharif and Khawar Ghumman have also been nominated in the case registered on August 8.

    Meanwhile, ARY News reported that Yousaf was arrested in Karachi late on Tuesday night (August 9). Yousaf was arrested without a warrant from his residence located in Karachi’s DHA.

    “Police officers along with plain-clothed persons forcibly entered the house of Ammad Yousaf. The raiding team diverted the CCTV cameras of Yousaf’s house, and jumped into the house from the top of the main entrance,” reported ARY News.

    Arshad Sharif flies to Dubai

    After Yousaf got arrested, anchorperson Arshad Sharif left the country after his name was nominated in the FIR.

    ARY News distances itself from Shahbaz Gill’s statement about army

    ARY News and Salman Iqbal distanced themselves from Gill’s statement.

    In a statement read out by ARY’s senior anchorperson Kashif Abbasi on his show, ‘Off the Record’, said that Salman Iqbal and the management condemns Shahbaz Gill’s statement.

    Pemra issues show-cause notice to ARY News for airing ‘hateful, seditious’ content against govt

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Monday issued a show-cause notice to ARY News for airing what it called “false, hateful and seditious” content based on “absolute disinformation with a clear and present threat to national security by instigating rebellion within the armed forces”.

    Prior to the issuance of the notice, ARY News went off air in many parts of the country on Monday (August 8).

  • ’Threat to national security’, PEMRA bans Bol show after Khan’s interview

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) has just banned Bol News’ programme “Tajzia” hosted by Anchor Sami Ibrahim after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s appearance on the show.

    The notice reads that “the statements that Khan gave at the show gravely threatened the national security, independence, sovereignty, integrity and ideology of the country and it is a clear violation of Article 19 of the constitution, PEMRA Ordinance, Electronic Media Code of Conduct (2015).

    Article 19 mainly states that “every citizen shall have the right to freedom of speech and expression, and there shall be freedom of the press, subject to any reasonable restrictions imposed by law in the interest of the glory of Islam or the integrity, security or defence of Pakistan or any part, therefore, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, or incitement to an offence.’

    Imran Khan, in an interview aired on Wednesday, said that the establishment needs to make the right decisions and if they don’t, “the army will be destroyed”.

    He further said, “If the establishment doesn’t make the right decisions then I can assure you in writing that the army and they will be destroyed. Pakistan is going towards default. If right decisions aren’t made, then the country will be on a suicidal path.”

  • Maryam Nawaz removes ARY mic from news conference, Kashif Abbasi asks where PML-N’s press freedom slogan has gone now?

    Maryam Nawaz removes ARY mic from news conference, Kashif Abbasi asks where PML-N’s press freedom slogan has gone now?

    Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz before starting her press conference in Lahore on Tuesday, removed ARY News’ mic from the table, accusing the media house of propaganda against state institutes and PML-N.

    “Whoever is here from ARY, I completely respect you, but there is no way a media house can run a campaign against state institutes or start working on someone else’s agenda,” she added.

    Senior journalist and anchorperson Kashif Abbasi of ARY News took to Twitter and said that ARY News has been removed from cables across Pakistan. It is being reported that ARY has been taken down in parts of Pakistan following the orders of the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to the cable operators.

    Abbasi blamed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb as the main reason for the orders. Abbasi tweeted, “Ary removed from cables across pakistan.Maryam nawaz ne jalsa main ary pe tanqeed shuru ker aur ab Marium ne channel band ker dia.opposition main jamhooriat ka dard hai ke sone nahin deta.hukoomat main asliyat Nazar aati in sab ki.” [Maryam Nawaz criticised ARY during her jalsa and Marriyum Aurangzeb later shut down the channel. When they’re in Opposition, they want democracy but when in power, their reality is exposed.]

    The Current reached out to Kashif Abbasi, who asked the sitting government why they shut down ARY News.

    Abbasi said, “A news channel covers both the Opposition and the government, which is what ARY is doing. Covering the Opposition is not an issue, and there is nothing new in this. But how can you shut down a news channel on the basis of the coverage it is providing? When they are in Opposition, they represent themselves as being the biggest democrats and supporters of press freedom. Where has their press freedom gone now? All I want to know from the sitting government is why have they shut down the channel.”

    Nayatel, which is an internet service and streaming platform, has moved ARY from channel 7 to channel 66.

    “All licensed operators of Pakistan have shifted the position of ARY News channel. It’s available at 66 positions on Nayatel’s Basic Cable TV,” tweeted Nayatel.

    Following the shutdown of ARY News, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that ARY News has been taken off the air in various areas, adding that the fascist government thinks censorship will succeed in the 21st century.

  • Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Those who chant ‘vote ko izzat do’ bought votes for Rs2,000: Fawad hits at PML-N over a leaked video

    Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday said those who chant “vote ko izzat do” (give respect to vote) slogan bought votes for Rs2,000 for the upcoming by-election in Lahore.

    His comments come in relevance to the viral video in which workers of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) can be allegedly seen distributing cash among the voters of the Lahore constituency. The video surfaced days ahead of the by-election in Lahore’s NA-133 constituency scheduled for December 5.

    https://twitter.com/SHABAZGIL/status/1464717252846964739

    Addressing a public gathering Fawad said, “I hope that when the offices of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) would open on Monday, they would take notice of the matter and would ask the PML-N how getting votes by distributing money was a service to democracy and giving respect to the ballot.”

    Taking a jibe at PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz, Fawad said that she and her husband Captain (retd) Mohammad Safdar should bid adieu to politics, further adding that whenever their case was about to be heard in courts, they leaked fake videos to pressure judges and state institutions.

    “Maryam Nawaz had said she did not own any property in London and even in Pakistan but after Panama Leaks, we came to know that she owned property worth billions not only in Pakistan but also abroad. We repeatedly ask them to show receipts, else there are only two options: to return the money or go to jail,” said Fawad.

    The video created an uproar in the political arena, as PML-N and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders accused each other of trying to buy votes in the constituency.

    Later on Sunday, Returning Officer (RO) Syed Basit Ali wrote separate letters to the Punjab Police chief, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), Lahore deputy commissioner, and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), drawing attention and seeking more information about the persons seen in the video clips to take action against them.

    The lower house seat from Lahore fell vacant due to the death of PML-N MNA Pervaiz Malik, who died on October 11 due to heart-related complications.

  • PTA lifts ban on TikTok

    PTA lifts ban on TikTok

    The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has lifted a ban from TikTok, the authority said in a tweet. “PTA has restored the services of TikTok on assurances of the Platform to control immoral / indecent content.”

    PTA further added, “As a result of continuous engagement, senior management of the platform assured PTA of its commitment to take necessary measures to control unlawful content in accordance with local laws and societal norm

    TikTok has assured PTA that the users who are continuously involved in uploading unlawful content will be blocked from using the platform. “Keeping in view the assurances, the Authority has decided to lift the ban on TikTok forthwith,” said PTA in a statement

    “PTA will continue to monitor the platform in order to ensure that unlawful content contrary to Pakistan’s law and societal values is not disseminated.”

    Earlier, on November 3, TikTok Head of Public Policy-Emerging Markets and Head of Global CSR, Helena Lersch, along with her team visited the (PTA) headquarters. During the meeting PTA agreed to work with TikTok to build a framework to guarantee that all content shared on the site is legal and safe for society.

    TikTok was banned for the fourth time in Pakistan on July 21, 2021 for its failure to take down “inappropriate content”.

  • Pemra orders TV channels to stop airing CCTV footage of Noor in Zahir Jaffer’s house

    Pemra orders TV channels to stop airing CCTV footage of Noor in Zahir Jaffer’s house

    The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) on Sunday has issued a notice to TV channels asking them to stop broadcasting CCTV footage of Noor Mukadam.

    The issued notification states that the “telecast of CCTV footage” of Noor and Zahir has been prohibited under Section 27 of the Pemra Ordinance, 2002. Pemra also warned strict action against the violators.

    The CCTV footage of Noor Mukadam from the house of Zahir Jaffer, the prime suspect in her murder has been also making rounds on social media.

    On November 9, the prosecution in the Noor Mukadam murder case submitted the transcript of the CCTV footage of Zahir’s house in the court of Additional Sessions Judge Ata Rabbani, which shows the events that led to Noor’s brutal murder. The CCTV footage revealed that Noor tried to run away from Zahir Jaffer’s house twice before she was murdered.

    Read more- Noor tried to escape Zahir’s house twice, was stopped by his helpers

    Noor was found murdered at a residence in Islamabad’s upscale Sector F-7/4 on July 20. Her death sparked national outrage, including protests and candlelight vigils across the country.

  • Government directs TV channels to show Pakistan map daily before bulletin

    Government directs TV channels to show Pakistan map daily before bulletin

    In a notification issued by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the government has directed all television channels to show Pakistan map daily before the 9pm news bulletin.

    The notification is titled: ‘Streamlining Correct Use of Pakistan Political Map‘.

    “All the news channels (both public and private) have to flash the political map of Pakistan for 02 seconds before airing the news bulletin at 09:00pm on regular basis,” it reads.

    Previously in August, Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan had announced the approval of a new political map of Pakistan, which included Indian-occupied Kashmir in its entirety.

    Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir “Disputed territory- final status to be decided in line with the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions” is written on the map.