ISLAMABAD -- Pakistan's media watchdog Thursday (January 26) accused a prominent television preacher of hate speech and banned his hugely popular show, silencing the high-profile host after years of controversy, AFP reported.
Aamir Liaquat Hussain, a charismatic star criticised in 2013 for giving out babies to childless couples live on prime-time television, had been accused of inciting hate against supporters of five progressive activists who disappeared earlier this month.
He was told his programme on Bol News had been ended "with immediate effect" and prohibited from appearing on the channel "in any manner" even in old footage, with Bol warned it would lose its licence if it did not comply.
Hussain was also prohibited from delivering "any hate speech" or branding anyone an infidel or a traitor on any other channel, according to the statement from the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA).
