Govt for NA probe into non-payment of loans by media
ISLAMABAD: The government on Tuesday asked the National Assembly (NA) to form a parliamentary committee to probe into the cases of media groups which have not paid back loans of billions of rupees.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Dr Firdaus Ashiq Awan, informed the Lower House of the parliament that the government had been pursuing a liberal media policy for the last three years and had no intention to impose any restriction on the media.
Referring to the speech of leader of opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, in the National Assembly in which he blasted the government for targeting a particular group, the information minister said that facts were quite contrary to what was being said about the issues vis-a-vis this particular group.
“If the government would have been wary of this media group for its criticism of the government, it would have slapped curbs on its news channel,” she said.
Earlier, when the session started under the chairmanship of Deputy Speaker, Faisal Karim Kundi, some members raised the issue of purchase of electric transformers by WAPDA at higher rates.
Federal Minister for Water and Power, Syed Naveed Qamar, admitted that cost of these
transformers was high because these had been designed on new specification, which reduced the transmission losses.
About the allegation of corruption in the purchase of these transformers, he said that all kinds of wild accusations were being made but nobody had credible and authentic account about these allegations.
The creation of new provinces in the country also figured in the proceedings when Laiq Muhammad Khan from Hazara division sought the attention of the chair towards the death anniversary of people who were killed on April 12 last year while peacefully demanding the creation of Hazara province.
Source: Daily Times
Date:4/13/2011
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