NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SECRETARIAT

PRESS RELEASE

Islamabad, the 6th December, 2021: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting invited Mr. Saqib Nisar, Ex-Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Rana Muhammad Shamim, Ex-Chief Justice of Gilgit-Baltistan and Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Editor in Chief, The News regarding news published in electronic and print media in its meeting held today in the PTV Headquarters, Islamabad. The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Mian Javed Latif, MNA.

2. The Hon. Chairman informed the Committee that news was published in the electronic and print media regarding Ex-Chief Justice Gilgit-Baltistan (GB) claims in a singed affidavit: ‘Saqib Nisar directed not to release Nawaz, Maryam before 2018 Elections’. During the course of the discussion, the Committee decided to invite Mr. Saqib Nisar, Ex-Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Pakistan, Rana Muhammad Shamim, Ex-Chief Justice of Gilgit-Baltistan and Mir Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Editor in Chief, The News to have their point of views before the Committee in its next meeting.

3. While discussing the issue regarding murder attacks on Mr. Absar Alam, former Chairman, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA)/Senior Journalist and also other senior Journalists, Mr. Hamid Mir, Mr. Matiullah Jan, Ms. Asma Sherazi and Mr. Asad Toor, the Deputy Inspector General of Police (ICT), briefed the Committee that the efforts are being made by the ICT Police to arrest the culprits involved and also assured that they will take up the matter in their departmental Committee for provision of security to the said Journalists.

4. The Committee deferred the Government Bills, namely, The Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Pakistan Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and a Private Member Bill, The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (moved by Ms. Uzma Riaz, MNA). The Committee also deferred the Calling Attention Notice No. 29 regarding increasing obscenity on TV channels (moved by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and other MNAs) till its next meeting due to paucity of time.

5. The Committee decided to convene the next meeting on 15th December 2021 at PTV Headquarters to discuss the same agenda.

6. The meeting was attended by Mr. Ali Nawaz Awan, Mr. Tahir Iqbal, Mr. Muhammad Akram Cheema, Ms. Javaria Zafar Aheer, Ms. Syma Nadeem, Ms. Maiza Hameed, Mr. Saad Waseem and Dr. Nafisa Shah, MNAs. Ms. Uzma Riaz and Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, MNAs/Mover were also present in the meeting besides senior officers from M/o Information & Broadcasting, M/o Interior, M/o Law & Justice, ICT Police, Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Pakistan Television Corporation (PTVC), Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA), Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), and Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), Islamabad.