Govt scraps Pemra ban on Imran's speeches.

ISLAMABAD -- In a surprise move, the federal government on Saturday direcAted the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory AuthoArity (Pemra) to withdraw a ban, announced earlier in the day, on the telecast of live or recorded speeches by PTI Chairman Imran Khan.

Information Minister Marriyum AuranAgzeb said in a statement that directives had been issued by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to ensure the ban 'should be terminated'.

At the same time, she said, Pemra should ensure 'continued implementation of legal requirements under Article 19 of the Constitution'.

Had it remained in the field, the ban would have been the second restriction imposed by Pemra on Mr Khan within a span of three months for allegedly making reckless statements against institutions and violating the provisions of the Constitution related to the freedom of speech.

The previous ban, announced in August, was lifted on the orders of the Islamabad High Court (IHC). The decision to ban Mr Khan from airtime was taken in light of his statements regarding the military.

In the order, Pemra had directed the satellite television channels to stop broadcasting Mr Khan's media talks and speeches - live or recorded - from Saturday evening onwards.

Pemra's decision referred to Mr Khan's speech broadcast by almost all TV channels on Friday in which 'Mr Khan levelled baseless allegations against the state institutions which were tantamount to hatching...