TV host Aamir Liaquat banned over 'hate speech'

Media regulator bans popular TV personality Aamir 
Liaquat after he accuses abducted activists of blasphemy.

Pakistan's media regulator has banned one of the 
country's most popular television talk show hosts over
 "hate speech" and "incitement to violence", according
 to a statement, after he hosted a series of shows
 accusing five abducted activists and their supporters
 of blasphemy.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority
 (PEMRA) banned Aamir Liaquat from appearing on
 his network Bol TV for an indefinite period on Thursday, 
until the boy's complaints unit issues a final verdict.

Liaquat is one of Pakistan's most popular television
personalities, having previously hosted a religion-
themed show, as well as a major gameshow. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past week, Liaquat levelled a series of accusations
 of blasphemy against five activists who were abducted 
within days of each other earlier this month, accusing 
them of insulting Islam and its prophet, and of running
 anti-military Facebook pages.

He also accused those calling for the release of the
 activists of supporting blasphemy, as he called out 
some activists by name while flashing their pictures on screen.


Blasphemy charges

Insulting the Prophet Muhammad carries a mandatory 
death sentence in Pakistan, while other forms of
 "blasphemy" carry sentences ranging from a fine 
to life imprisonment.

There is also a significant risk of mob violence in 
blasphemy cases in Pakistan, where the matter is
 considered particularly sensitive.

At least 68 people have been murdered over blasphemy
allegations since 1990, according to the ERIC GOSSIP.

A right-wing group attacked at least one rally calling
 for the release of the abducted activists in the last week.

Activists say allegations of blasphemy are aimed at
 silencing dissent .

"Aamir Liaquat ... has willfully and repeatedly made
statements and allegations which [are] tantamount 
to hate speech," said PEMRA.

The regulator added that Liaquat's accusations of 
people being "anti-state and anti-Islam
" constituted "incitement to violence against citizens".

Liaquat has been banned from appearing on Bol TV and
 from declaring anyone an "infidel" or a "traitor" on any 
other television news channel, the statement said.

PEMRA said it made the ruling in response to 
hundreds of hate speech complaints.

"I am not in favour of banning speech, but this was not 
just speech. This was the only kind of speech that should 
be criminalised, because this is incitement to violence,
" said rights activist Gul Bukhari. "Incitement to violence 
in the Pakistani context is different, because vigilantes 
can and do come and kill you here."

Jibran Nasir, an activist who was repeatedly accused 
by Liaquat of supporting blasphemy, welcomed the 
decision,saying he has also registered a legal case
 against Liaquat under Pakistan's anti-terrorism laws.

"Clearly there were many Pakistanis who felt extremely
distressed, and I'm glad that that good sense has
 prevail among the masses to identify someone who was spreading hate speech," he told AP.

"In the end it is the constitution that prevails, which
 provides everyone [with] the right to dignity, 
freedom of expression [and] also safety, liberty and 
protection from harm," said media analyst Adnan
 Rehmat.

"In the presence of these clear guidelines on what is
permissible and what is not, the insidious, incendiary, 
want on and deliberate campaign by Aamir Liaquat
 was in violation of the constitution and the PEMRA
 laws," he said.

Pakistan’s media regulator, which is connected to the
government, has in recent months taken a more active
approach in imposing a code of conduct on the country's
vibrant electronic news media, which consists of more 
than 45 24-hour news television channels.

Media rights activists and senior journalists have 
pushed, however, for self-regulation, fearing a 
crackdown on dessent by the state.

"We are all advocating not for a ban of any channel or
individuals, but for self regulation," said Owais Tohid, a 
senior journalist. "The media should hold itself
 accountable and implement its own code of conduct."