Islamabad: Pakistan’s electronic media watchdog has banned the broadcast and rebroadcast of any speech, interview or public address of absconders or proclaimed offenders, days after ailing former prime minister Nawaz Sharif made blistering speeches from exile in London targeting the powerful Pakistani Army.
The move by Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) came as it took cognizance of 70-year-old Sharif’s repeated attack on the Pakistan Army, with the latest being on Thursday during which he in a televised speech said that the military had rigged the 2018 vote that brought the country’s current prime minister to power.
“PEMRA has received a complaint against several news channels airing speech of that of an absconder and a proclaimed offender. It has banned broadcast and rebroadcast of any speech, interview or public address of such absconders or proclaimed offender,” the media watchdog said in a statement on Thursday with a clear reference to Sharif. The media body also warned that anyone who fails to comply with the order would face action. Sharif’s remarks came days after Pakistan’s opposition vowed to hold rallies in October to pressure Khan to resign. (PTI)
