Tag: Parliamentary Reporters Association

  • Ministry of Information to form joint committee for media authority bill

    Ministry of Information to form joint committee for media authority bill

    The Ministry of Information has decided to form a joint committee after consultations with representatives of all media institutions and organisations.

    The committee will review the proposed media regulation and make recommendations. The Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA) has apparently been postponed for the time being.

    Journalists staged a protest in front of the Parliament House against the proposed PMDA, which aims to muzzle media freedom. The protest started on Sunday, September 12. Journalists marched from the National Press Club to the Parliament House and stayed overnight.

    As journalists continued with sit-in outside of the Parliament House against the government’s proposed PMDA, prominent leaders from political parties, student unions, and members of the civil society also joined in to show solidarity.

    In a first in Pakistan’s history, reporters were not allowed to enter a joint session of Parliament on Monday, September 13.

    Parliamentary reporters were to be present in the press gallery for President Alvi’s address but entered the hallway to find that the door was locked. The press gallery was closed for the journalists.

    The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) strongly condemned the closure of the press gallery and said, “Closing the gallery is the worst dictatorship.”

    However, National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser said that he closed the doors of the press gallery during the president’s speech to a joint session of parliament after getting ‘reports’ that there was a possibility of a ruckus between two journalists’ groups.

    The Speaker claimed that he made this decision after consulting the PRA.

    “I couldn’t afford a fight between two groups in Parliament which could have resulted in the disrespect of media and the House,” Qaiser said adding, “however, there was some misunderstanding.”

  • Asad Qaiser states press gallery closed in consultation with journalists, journalists deny

    Asad Qaiser states press gallery closed in consultation with journalists, journalists deny

    National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser said that he closed the doors of the press gallery during President Arif Alvi’s speech to a joint session of parliament after getting ‘reports’ that there was a possibility of a ruckus between two journalists’ groups.

    The speaker while speaking to journalists, claimed that he made this decision after consulting the Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA).

    “I couldn’t afford a fight between two groups in Parliament which could have resulted in the disrespect of media and the House,” Qaiser said adding, “however, there was some misunderstanding.”

    After Qaiser’s claims, the PRA categorically denied the speaker’s statement and challenged him to name the journalists who met him as PRA representatives, reported Dawn.

    “PRA delegation has not met the Speaker National Assembly nor has the PRA been taken into confidence over the closure of the Press Gallery,” says the statement issued by PRA’s information secretary Malik Saeed Awan.

    “PRA delegation has not met the Speaker National Assembly nor has the PRA been taken into confidence over the closure of the Press Gallery,” says the statement issued by PRA’s information secretary Malik Saeed Awan.

    “PRA strongly condemns this black lie of the Speaker”. Awan demanded an inquiry to determine which delegation met with and misrepresented the journalist organisation.

    In a first in Pakistan’s history, reporters were not allowed to enter a joint session of Parliament on Monday, September 13.

    Parliamentary reporters were to be present in the press gallery for the president’s address but entered the hallway to find that the door was locked. The press gallery was closed for the journalists.

    PRA strongly condemned the closure of the press gallery and said, “Closing the gallery is the worst dictatorship.”

    Pakistani journalists protested in front of the Parliament House against the proposed Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA), which aims to muzzle media freedom. The protest started on Sunday, September 12, Journalists marched from the National Press Club to the Parliament House and stayed overnight.

  • ‘Never happened even under Martial Law’, reporters stopped from attending Parliament session

    In a first in Pakistan’s history, reporters were not allowed to enter a joint session of Parliament on Monday.

    Parliamentary reporters were to be present in the press gallery for President Dr Arif Alvi’s address but entered the hallway to find that the door was locked. The press gallery was closed for the journalists.

    The Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) strongly condemned the closure of the press gallery and said, “Closing the gallery is the worst dictatorship.”

    Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator PPP, Sherry Rehman condemning the closing of the press gallery tweeted, “This did not happen even in martial law era. Govt [government] is on collision course with democracy”

    Twitterati lashed out at the government for banning the journalists from entering the session.

    Journalist Absar Alam tweeted, “This is the Parliament’s Press Gallery, which was never closed during the Martial Law era, but is closed today so that journalists cannot enter.”

    Journalist Nusrat Javeed tweeted, “Have been covering Parliament since 1985. Even in [the] worst of times governments never behaved so humiliating to media. Sad. Really sad.”

    Journalist Owais Tohid took to Twitter and said, “Highly condemnable act to ban accredited journalists from covering joint parliament session. So-called punishment for protesting proposed draconian laws to silence Pakistani media.”

    Even though the reporters have been banned from covering the session, the joint session is being aired live on news channels.