Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority issued a notification calling on the media to boycott people ‘damaging peace’ and not to prmote people ‘inciting hatred’ in the context of the incidents of May 9, apparently referring to Imran Khan.

The notification does not mention Imran Khan. However, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said that the government had placed a media ban on Imran Khan.

PEMRA said that the events of May 9 had been aimed at ‘weakening the federation’ by promoting anti-state sentiments.

“In the wake of the aforementioned scenario, all satellite TV channel licensees are directed to remain vigilant and not to promote any hate monger, perpetrator and their facilitators inadvertently,” the notification said.

The notification says that TV channels should ‘refrain from providing their airtime to such individuals who propagate hate speech and provoke public sentiements against the federation and state institutions’. It also calls for such ‘hate mongers and facilitattors’ to be completely screened out from the media.

The notification said that the ‘anti-state’ activites of May 9 had been ’orchestrated by politically charged up zealots of a political party behaving largely as hate mongers to instigate stock political activists as well.

The notification adds that such ‘outifts’ are polluting the minds of the innocent public and the motive is to harm the state and its institutions.

“This is unequivocally a very horrific trend which needs to be condemned and those involved in promoting such activities must be boycotted for damaging peace and tranquility in the country,” the notification said.

Imran Khan is already banned in effect from TV and has been using social media and YouTube to broadcast his speeches. However, news channels have indirectly mentioned his speeches and interviews and he has been the subject of major political discussions.