Nisar, Orakzai ask Gilani to reopen Geo Super, Aag
Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: The opposition in the National Assembly on Monday continued its protest against the closure of the country’s first sports channel, ‘Geo Super’, and youths channel, ‘Aag’, and demanded that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani intervene in the matter and reopen the channels.
Even the government coalition partner, Fata parliamentary leader Munir Khan Orakzai, raised his voice over the closure of the popular private channels. Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the independent media and parliament were linked to each other. “Pakistan’s only sport channel Geo Super and youths channel Aag have been closed for many weeks but the government has not budged an inch from its stance and reopened them,” he said.
He said it seems that the Geo issue was being made a hostage of the ego of one man who sits in the Presidency. “It seems to be the personal issue of one man and we want the prime minister to intervene and reopen the channels,” he added.”Why does the government run on the whims of one individual?”
Nisar said he had already proposed to the prime minister that it was better to reopen both the channels as a goodwill gesture.
However, in his speech, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani said the matter was referred to the house committee and he did not know whether or not the committee had presented its report. “I cannot make any further comments on this issue,” he said.
Parliamentary leader of MPs from Fata Munir Orakzai, on a point of order, also raised the issue and demanded reopening of Geo Super and Aag channels. Orakzai informed the House about the meeting of Fata parliamentarians with President Asif Ali Zardari and said it was made clear to the president that drone attacks should be stopped.
“We also asked him that now voices were raised for creation of provinces in the country and so it was time to make Fata a province,” he added.
Through another point of order, ANP legislator Bushra Gohar said a mechanism should be devised to ensure transparency in funds being provided to the Benazir Income Support Programme and NGOs under the Kerry-Lugar Bill. She said a parliamentary committee should be formed to look into the matter.
She said the Higher Education Commission did not take any action against vice chancellor of the Peshawar University who was found involved in plagiarism. On a point of order, Gul Muhammad Jakhrani strongly criticised the statement of Shahbaz Sharif regarding the division of Sindh.
MQM deputy parliamentary leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said time should be allocated for each member because most of the agenda items remained unfinished. He came down hard on opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, who consumed most of the time of the House on Monday and not a single agenda of the day was taken up. He said there was no time limit for the opposition leader and the prime minister due to which no other member could speak in the assembly most of the time. Faisal Karim Kundi, Deputy Speaker, said his point was valid and would be taken up in the next advisory committee meeting.
Akram Masih Gil said the government did not announce a holiday for the Christians serving in the government departments and there was prolonged power loadshedding on the eve of Easter. He staged a walkout from the House in protest over the issue.
Source: The News
Date:4/26/2011
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