Court seeks arguments on petition against airing Maryam's speeches

Petitioner alleges biased treatment of political parties in media

LAHORE:

Justice Farooq Haider of the Lahore High Court (LHC) has requested arguments on the maintainability of a petition seeking to bar news channels from airing what the petitioner describes as "abusive, defamatory, and scandalous" speeches and press conferences by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz. The petition alleges that such broadcasts incite supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The petition was filed by Akmal Khan, Vice President of PTI Punjab, through Advocate Sardar Khurram Latif Khosa. The respondents include the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), 11 leading television channels, and Maryam Nawaz.

In his petition, Akmal Khan contended that PTI, as the largest political party in Pakistan, has faced severe political victimization.

He claimed that numerous cases have been registered against party leaders, including PTI chief Imran Khan, in an attempt to humiliate and undermine them. Despite this, he argued, the party's popularity has continued to grow.

The petitioner further alleged that Imran Khan's name has been effectively barred from television broadcasts, while leaders of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), including Maryam Nawaz, have used "derogatory language" in their speeches. He accused the PML-N of attempting to incite PTI supporters and create unrest through such rhetoric.

Akmal Khan stated that he had approached PEMRA to ban Maryam Nawaz's speeches and had also sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) with the police. However, his efforts were unsuccessful.