The charges are said to relate to a speech he made in Islamabad on Saturday in which he said he would sue a magistrate and police officers, the BBC reports.

Shortly after the really, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) banned him from broadcasts for “levelling baseless allegations and spreading hate speech through his provocative statements against state institutions”.

Police have not yet arrested Mr Khan as he has been granted protective bail by the High Court in Islamabad until Thursday. He has been referred to an anti-terrorism court which could make a further ruling on bail this week.