Dr Amir Liaquat Hussain and Bol: A timeline

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    January – February 2017

    19/01/17 (THURSDAY): Amir Liaquat allegedly maligns Jibran Nasir and missing bloggers on his show ‘Aisa nahi chalay ga’

    20/01/17 (FRIDAY): Jibran Nasir files official complaint to PEMRA in Sindh

    25/01/17 (WEDNESDAY): Jibran Nasir files FIR against Amir Liaquat

    26/01/17 (THURSDAY): PEMRA bans Amir Liaquat after ‘weeks’ of monitoring, tweets decision at 14 11. Jibran Nasir tweets picture of his FIR an hour later at 15 12. Amir Liaquat’s show airs on Thursday night (26/01/17) despite PEMRA ban. The ban is met by official support from PBA, APNS, CPNE etc.

    27/01/17 (FRIDAY): Bol News appeals to SHC and gets a stay against PEMRA’s ban. On the same day PEMRA issues a show-cause notice to Bol TV for airing the show after it was banned and asks them to submit a response by 07/02/17. SHC calls in PEMRA chairman Absar Alam for contempt of court as a result.

    28/01/17 (SATURDAY): PEMRA appeals against SHC’s stay order to the SC.

    31/01/17 (TUESDAY): SC restrains SHC from holding contempt proceedings. Says this is not a blanket ban and only warns Amir Liaquat from any hate speech. Asks Bol News to appear in court on 06/02/17.

    06/02/17 (MONDAY): SC temporarily bans Amir Liaquat’s show until they reach a conclusive decision. Bol promises not to air the show while the SC deliberates on its decision.

    07/02/17 (TUESDAY): SC asks Bol to respond to show-cause notice issued by PEMRA on 27/01/17.

    08/02/17 (WEDNESDAY): SC upholds PEMRA’s ban and asks that they appeal to PEMRA the next time before going to the High Court. Court makes sure to stress that this decision is only in regards to the High Court giving a stay order against the action of a regulatory body which is against the law.

    Amir Liaquat’s show airs on Wednesday evening (08/02/17) despite SC order and their initial claim of not airing the show (06/02/17)

    09/02/17 (THURSDAY): Amir Liaquat’s show airs again on Thursday evening, this time for the last time till date.

    10/02/17 (FRIDAY): SHC withdraws its stay order after the SC decision and directs Bol News honour the SC’s decision and put an end to airing Amir Liaquat Hussain’s show immediately. Aisa nahi cahaly ga  to remain off air. Amir Liqauat returns after some time and once again resumes show on Bol.

     

    August 17 – June 18:

    15/08/17: Amir Liaquat Hussain quits Bol TV after an impassioned speech on air. No reason is given for his quitting other than rage and he is back again the next day, retracting his resignation.

    05/09/17: Amir Liaquat invites social media celebrity Waqar Zaka to go with him to Myanmar on a UN journalists visa so the two can record the plight of Rohingya Muslims, and also do humanitarian work with refugees.

    09/09/17:  Amir Liaquat Hussain is detained at the airport in Myanmar by immigration authorities for his inflammatory tweets. He is unheard of since and loses contact with Bol TV back in Pakistan.

    11/09/17:  After a couple of days off the chart, Amir Liaquat is deported back to Pakistan by Myanmar authorities.

    24/10/17: Faisal Javed Khan announces that Amir Liaquat will join the Pakistan Tehreek i Insaaf, even though he had earlier said he was quitting politics for good. Presser scheduled for the next day.

    25/10/17: Amir Liaquat fails to show up at the residence of PTI leader Imran Ismail for the presser announcing his entry into the party, leaving the PTI confused and embarrased. 18/11/17: Dr Hussain leaves Bol TV citing monetary disputes and unpaid salaries. The split is nasty with allegations of company cars, and benefits being thrown around here and there. Amir promises to expose Bol for what it is.

    07/12/17: Petition moved in court seeking lifetime ban on Amir Liaquat

    12/12/17: Amir Liaquat joins 24 News in administrative role as ‘President.’

    13/12/17: Justice Siddiqui of the IHC bans Amir Liaquat from appearing on TV until further notice, for calling himself an aalim without holding any sort of religious qualification.      

    23/01/18: After being forbidden from appearing on TV, Amir Liaquat retaliates by launching new urdu language news website called “Al Amir.”

    19/03/18: Amir Liaquat finally joins the PTI, actually attending the presser arranged this time where he appears next to Chairman Imran Khan.

    22/03/18: Amir Liaquat quits Channel 24 after joining PTI over conflict of interests.

    25/04/18: Amir Liaquat is rescued by Karachi police after being roughed up by an angry mob. Liaquat claims conspiracy, police says it was a simple case of rowdiness.

    9/05/18: Ahead of Ramzan, Justice Siddiqui warns television hosts to maintain decorum during Ramzan. Amir Liaquat is one of those named by the IHC.

    25/05/18: Amir Liaquat hosts a controversial Ramzan show on Bol TV in which he seems to instigate a sectarian conflict between the Ulema of different sects present. The show gains serious attention.

    26/05/18: Amir Liaquat is banned by PEMRA for 30 days in relation to the show.

    29/05/18: Facebook deletes Amir Liaquat’s facebook page, seemingly without explanation.

    30/05/18:  IHC allows Amir Liaquat to appear on TV, but upholds ban on his Ramazan show. The good doctor begins appearing on the Bol TV Ramzan transmission as a guest.