The Pakistan government is least interested in “wasting time” by putting former prime minister Imran Khan behind the bars, said Pakistan’s federal minister for information and broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb, slamming the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief for threatening the judiciary and a top cop as authorities step up probe after the cricketer-politician’s remarks on judiciary, Election Commission and the government – during a speech last week – triggered wide condemnation.
Marriyum added that the law will take its course hinting at mixed signals on Imran Khan’s arrest, said a report in the Pakistan daily, Express Tribune. On Monday, Imran Khan got a temporary relief – in the form of a transit bail for three days – till August 25 in the terrorism case, local media reports said. Khan has been booked under the Anti-Terrorism Act for threatening a judge, two police officials, and other state institutions at his Islamabad rally that was held on Saturday.
The coalition government doesn’t waste time in the meetings by discussing if PTI chief Imran Khan should be arrested or not, Marriyum said, adding that “accountability is a major feature of the government’s agenda but it believes that everything should move ahead as per the law and not by the politically vested interests.” She dismissed speculations that former president Asif Ali Zardari has opposed the move to arrest Imran Khan. Accusing Imran Khan of bullying the federal investigation agency (FIA), the federal minister further added that he refused to appear before the election commission and also refused to give the relevant records that the FIA was seeking.
Commenting on the matter of Imran’s aide Dr Shahbaz Gill – who was arrested recently over controversial remarks on TV – Marriyum said that Gill’s was a legal matter and is dealt with by the courts but Imran was making it a political matter, adding that attacking judges and police officials pushed the authorities concerned to take legal action against him, the Express Tribune reported. Gill was arrested by the police on August 9 after he made controversial remarks against the Pakistan Army on television that were deemed as “highly hateful and seditious” by the country’s media authority.
Imran Khan’s live speeches banned on Pakistan TV channels
Pakistan’s media regulatory authority, PEMRA, has banned the broadcasting of live speeches of Imran Khan, noting that the speech would only be permitted to be aired after an effective delay mechanism to ensure effective monitoring and editorial control.
The PEMRA imposed this ban on all satellite channels hours after he vowed to file cases against Islamabad’s inspector-general, deputy inspector general, and female magistrate for “torturing” Shahbaz Gill. Khan had also connected the current situation in Pakistan to the chief of army staff’s appointment and termed it “unfortunate” that everything in the country was happening over one appointment.
