Pak govt asks media watchdog to reverse ban on TV channels from airing Imran Khan's speeches
Islamabad, Nov 5: The Pakistan government on Saturday directed the country's electronic media watchdog to reverse the ban on television channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting ousted premier Imran Khan's speeches or media talks, saying the government values the freedom of expression guaranteed in the Constitution.
The decision was taken hours after the Pakistan Electronic Media and Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) prohibited the TV channels from broadcasting or rebroadcasting Khan's speeches and said airing such content would likely to create hatred among the people and endanger national security.
Information minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the federal government using its special powers directed PEMRA to reverse the ban.
"Our government believes in the democratic values, freedom of expression given in the Constitution," she said.
Earlier, PEMRA said Khan during his long march speeches and a day ago in an address from hospital "made aspersions against the state institutions by levelling baseless allegations for orchestrating an assassination plan".
The media watchdog said that airing such content violated several laws and was likely to create "hatred among the people" or was prejudicial to the maintenance of law and order or was likely to disturb public peace and tranquillity or endanger national security.
Khan, 70, suffered a bullet injury in the right leg when two gunmen fired a volley of bullets at him in the Wazirabad area of Punjab province on Thursday, where he was leading a protest march against the Shehbaz Sharif government.
Khan, the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, alleged in his address to the nation on Friday from hospital that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah and Major General Faisal Naseer were part of a sinister plot to assassinate him in the same way as former Punjab governor Salman Taseer was killed in 2011 by a religious extremist.
Prime Minister Shehbaz demanded Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial constitute a "full court commission" to probe the allegations levelled by Khan.
He said Khan is a "liar from head to toe" and is trying his best to destroy Pakistan.
The Pakistan Army has also dismissed the ousted premier's remarks as "absolutely unacceptable".
"The baseless allegations hurled at the institution/officials today are highly regrettable and strongly condemned," it said.
This is the second time that PEMRA took action against the airing of Khan's speeches.
In August, the same regulator had imposed a ban on broadcasting Khan's live speeches on all satellite TV channels with immediate effect.
However, in September, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) overturned the ban.
Since he was ousted from power in April, the cricketer-turned politician has repeatedly claimed that the no-trust motion against him was the result of a "foreign conspiracy".
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Leadership issue: Cong high command will call us at 'appropriate time,' will wait, says Shivakumar
Bengaluru, Dec 20 (PTI): With the leadership issue involving him and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah coming to the fore again, deputy CM DK Shivakumar on Saturday said the Congress high command has told the two leaders as to when they will be called to Delhi to to discuss the matter.
He said that both of them will go to Delhi and meet the high command, when summoned.
"I will inform you, I won't do anything without informing you. I will not go hiding from you," Shivakumar told reporters here in response to a question on him and Siddaramaiah's likely visit to the national capital to meet the party high command after the just concluded legislature session.
Asked if there was any invitation from the high command, asking him and CM to come to Delhi, he said, "they have told something to both of us, they have told both of us over phone as to when they will call us. We will go, both of us will go."
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"They (high command) have said they will call both of us at the appropriate time, we will wait for the call," the Karnataka Congress chief added.
Shivakumar's statement came a day after Siddaramaiah asserted in the Assembly that he would continue in office. He had also said that the Congress high command was "in my favour" and asserted that no decision was made on him staying at the helm for only two-and-a-half years, as per a rumoured 2023 agreement on power-sharing with his deputy.
Shivakumar, had said that he and CM Siddaramaiah have come to an agreement with the involvement of the Congress high command, and both of them will abide by it.
The power tussle within the ruling party has intensified amid speculations about a change in chief minister in the state, after the Congress government reached the halfway mark of its five-year term on November 20.
The speculation was fueled by the "power-sharing" pact between Siddaramaiah and Shivakumar in 2023.
Meanwhile some 'Naga Sadhus' visited the Deputy CM's residence and blessed him.
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Stating that he is going to Delhi on Tuesday to meet various central ministers, Shivakumar, who is also the Minister for water resources said, "the central government's water resources department has called us regarding interlinking of rivers."
"I will go there and discuss matters related to the state's river projects like Mahadayi, Krishna water award, Mekedatu, and Upper Badhra."
He said he will also meet the central water resources minister, forest minister, urban development minister.
"There are a lot of issues. We wanted to meet them along with MPs from the state, but still I will go and meet. Then after that, if needed, we will meet the Prime Minister also with the issues," Shivkumar added.
Hitting out at the Modi government at the Center for replacing the existing rural employment law MGNREGA, and removing Mahatma Gandhi's name from it, Shivakumar accused it of insulting the father of the nation.
He also challenged the government to remove Gandhiji's image from currency notes.
"The country wants Gandhi. People of the country will respond to it," he said.
"They want to change Gandhi's name...let them change this picture of Gandhi also," he said, showing a currency note.
"With Gandhi's name we had started an employment guarantee scheme under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and (late) Manmohan Singh (former PM), the MGNREGA.....they want to kill the scheme, so they have changed its name. A big movement will start against it from Karnataka itself," he said.
