ISLAMABAD: A legislative body of the Lower House of Parliament on Tuesday directed the Information and Broadcasting Division to consult stakeholders and media organisations over The Protection of Journalists Bill, 2014. The direction was issued during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, which met at the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla. Discussing the bill, the committee said that journalists and their families were vulnerable. “Therefore, measures are imperative from the state for their safely and welfare,” they said. The committee deferred The PEMRA (Amendment) Bill, 2017 till its next meeting to get more input from members. The committee expressed concern over the performance of Press Council of Pakistan (PCP), and directed the council to assert its authority to check pervasive violation of rules by the print media. The committee also sought details of suo moto actions initiated by the PCP against the print media. The committee decided to hold another meeting on the working and performance of PCP. The committee expressed displeasure on the PTV Engineering Department over the delay in installation of TV transmission boosters. The committee directed the Information Division secretary, who currently holds the charge of PTV managing director, to inquire into the delay and identify those responsible for that inordinate delay within one month. The meeting was attended by MNAs Malik Shakir Bashir Awan, Muhammad Tallal Chaudry, Mian Muhammad Farooq, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Parveen Masood Bhatti, Arifa Khalid Parvez, Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar, Waseem Akthar Sheikh, Belum Hasnain, Murad Saeed, Muhammad Azhar Jadoon, Naeema Kishwer Khan, Muhammad Tufail, Fouzia Hameed, the Information and Broadcasting Division secretary and heads of other departments. Published in Daily Times, June 21st, 2017.