Imran Khan files contempt plea against Pemra in LHC

PTI main Imran Khan gestures arsenic helium addresses supporters during a rally, successful Lahore, connected April 21, 2022. — Reuters

• Plea seeks enactment against liable officers for contempt of court.
• "Pemra 'willfully flouted' with court’s judgment," Khan's plea reads.
• Watchdog imposed prohibition connected PTI chief's speeches connected March 5.

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Saturday filed a contempt of tribunal plea successful the Lahore High Court (LHC) against the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra).

In his petition, Khan claimed that the physics media regulator has not lifted the prohibition connected his speeches contempt tribunal orders.

Last month, the provincial apical court suspended Pemra’s notification banning the broadcast of the PTI chief’s speeches connected tv channels.

In presumption of his “provocative statements against the authorities institutions and officers”, Pemra imposed a ban connected broadcasting unrecorded and recorded speeches of Khan connected each outer TV channels with contiguous effect connected March 5.

The petition by the PTI president stated that the tribunal had directed Pemra not to enforce immoderate prohibition connected the broadcasting of the erstwhile premier minister’s speeches which are being prevented from being aired contempt orders and deemed the authority’s enactment arsenic contempt of court.

“That the Respondent has failed to abide by his law obligations envisaged nether the Article 204 of the Constitution of Pakistan, 1973,” work Khan’s plea.

The plea has sought enactment against liable officers for contempt of tribunal nether Article 204 of the Constitution.

“The Respondent beryllium summoned and proceeded against nether Article 204 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, 1973, work with Sections 3&4 of the Contempt of Court Ordinance, 2003, and beryllium punished accordingly for having committed willful contempt of the Order of this Honorable Court,” the petition read.

The erstwhile premier, successful his plea, wrote that Pemra’s actions are contrary to and successful contradiction with Article 10-A of the Constitution of Pakistan.

“The aforesaid are atrocious successful instrumentality being ‘ultra vires’ the Constitution, illegal, without jurisdiction, against the cardinal rights of the Petitioner and of nary ineligible effect. In presumption whereof, the Respondents should refrain from acting successful a mode prejudicial to the interests of the Petitioners and contrary to instrumentality and Constitution,” said the petition.

It added that the physics media watchdog is being “discriminatory, oppressive, unjust, and violative of cardinal rights particularly denying the entree to justness to the citizens for having a just proceedings and violative of Rule of Law and owed process of Law.”

“That impugned enactment of the Respondent is ‘ultravires’ according to Articles 8, 9, 18, and 25 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan 1973,” the petition mentioned.

Khan besides stated that Pemra has “willfully flouted” the court’s judgement lowering its prestige and honour. The watchdog, done the order’s violation, has ridiculed the authorization of the tribunal resorting to wide disobedience; hence, it is “liable to beryllium punished arsenic prescribed by the instrumentality of the Contempt of Court.”