PTI to challenge ban on live telecast of Imran’s speeches

Fawad says govt’s reluctance to probe Gill’s torture is raising eyebrows

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senior Central Vice President Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday announced that the PTI would challenge the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) notice, banning live telecast of Chairman Imran Khan's speeches, in court, saying that the order has no legal and constitutional status.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Fawad lashed out at the “imported government” and dared it to compete with Imran politically instead of banning the live telecast of his speeches.

He said that if they did not like Imran or his speeches, they should reply to him in the field instead of resorting to propaganda or ban.

“We are starting the public movement from Rawalpindi today. We hope the government will not force us to start the second phase before September 10,” he added.

Fawad stated that Imran was the crowd puller, not these thieves because only he could take out a rally on 24-hour notice.

“Imran Khan neither said anything illegal nor threatened anyone in the rally, but just spoke about legal action against those responsible [for the treatment meted out to Dr Shahbaz Gill],” he added.

Comparing the current ruling coalition with Mongol tribesmen, Fawad said that the imported rulers would stay in Pakistan until they remained in government, but as soon as they lost power, they would flee the country just like the tribesmen who used to attack and conquer, destroy and leave.

He stated that the conspiracy was hatched to disqualify the PTI chief in order to pave the way for Nawaz Sharif’s homecoming. However, he added, Pakistan's democracy revolved around Imran.

Talking about Gill’s “torture”, Fawad reiterated his demand that a three-member independent panel consisting of Dr Shireen Mazari, Khwaja Saad Rafiq and Mustafa Khokar should be constituted to bring the truth before the masses.

He said that there was nothing to be worried about if Gill was all well. “If the Islamabad police did not torture the PTI leader, then who did it?” he asked.

Commenting on the video of Gill being aired on TV channels in which he was shown in good health, the former minister said that if the video was genuine and he was in good condition, then it was a good thing. However, he stated that barring the PTI chief, lawyers and other leaders from meeting him raised many eyebrows.

He went on to say that Gill himself told him how he was kept blindfolded in the CIA station and tortured for hours. “1,400 years ago, Islam gave the rights of prisoners,” he added.

He said that a case of “torture” on Gill was also filed against the female magistrate, and a case under section 12A has been registered against the IG and DIG regarding the same.

Coming down hard on the imported government, Fawad stated that the “cabal of thieves” could not dare to come before the masses because they were scared of possible public reaction.

He said that the imported government ruined the country as these crooks reversed all the hard-earned gains of the PTI government in a short span of time.

“It is unfortunate that Rana Sanaullah is the interior minister of Pakistan as what he stated against state institutions in his speeches in the Punjab Assembly, one cannot repeat his words in public,” he added.

The PTI leader stated that Sanaullah himself has once endured violence, but he has taken Gill’s “torture” as an ordinary issue.

He said that when Maryam Nawaz asked the members of her party to resign, they refused to do so, however, all PTI members tendered resignations en masse on the call of their leader.

He said that MQM-P has no political future, as their politics of greed damaged Karachi enormously and the people of Karachi would never forgive them. Therefore, he advised the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to merge MQM-P into itself.