Opposition walks out of NA body against curbs on media

Author: By Siddique Sajid

ISLAMABAD: Opposition on Thursday staged a walkout from the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information against putting curbs on media.

PML-N lawmaker Talal Chaudhry and PTI legislator Murad Saeed also exchanged harsh words.

The committee met under the Aslam Bodla. The body discussed a talk show in which journalist Rauf Klasra leveled allegation on NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.

The body directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to provide information to the NA secretary in a complaint lodged with PEMRA against Klasra.

The committee also directed PEMRA to expedite the hearing of the complaint. The body directed the PEMRA chairman to provide the attested copies of additional documents to the complainant for submitting a rejoinder on the reply received from the respondent channel. The PEMRA chairman assured the body that the required documents would be provided and the matter would be referred to the council of complaints Karachi as the tenure of council of complaints Islamabad has expired.

Rauf Klasra said he never blamed the NA speaker. He said he had a lot of respect for parliament and parliamentarians. He said if the NA speaker was party against him then he should present his case instead of the NA secretary.

NA Secretary Abdul Jabbar said he was complainant on the speaker’s behalf because the integrity of the chair has been questioned in the programme.

Opposition members Murad Saeed, Imran Zafar Leghari and Malik Amir protested and said if Klasra had said something against the speaker then the issue should be discussed in the privileges committee not here. They staged a walkout after the committee chairman disagreed with them.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State for Information Marriyum Aurangzeb, lawmakers Talal Chaudhry, Muhammad Tufail, Leila Khan, Imran Leghari, Murad Saeed, Azhar Jadoon, Aamir Dogar and Naeema Kishwar.