Journalists walk out of NA, Senate
ISLAMABAD: The journalist community on Monday staged a walkout from the proceedings of the National Assembly and Senate against the alleged harassment of their colleagues by political parties and attack on a private television channel office in Peshawar.
Taking notice of the walkout, Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Minster for Information Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan from the Lower House and Senator Zahid Khan from the Senate met the journalists to settle the issue. During the discussion, Malik assured the journalists that the FIA would investigate the attack on a private TV channel office and he would respond to their concerns after the report.
Talking about the harassment of the journalists, he said those who wanted to destabilise the country were harassing the journalists. He proposed a committee look into the affair.
To a question, he said that he had been in Karachi from the last three weeks and the action was taken against everyone involved in breaching law. Malik said if someone proved that he had released some target killers, he would resign.
Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan however said that concerns of the journalists were valid. She said that attack on journalists was tantamount to attack on democracy.
She added that the tolerance was a first lesson of democracy and everyone should tolerate the criticism of media.
A delegation of journal from Parliamentary Report Association met with the Information Minister in her office. They demanded the minister ensure their security.
Later the minister on the floor of the House requested both the parties to respond to the concerns of the journalist community. On which, Deputy Parliamentary Leader of MQM, Haider Abbas Rizvi, said that MQM supported media men and would keep supporting them.
Source: The Nation
Date:9/13/2011
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