ISLAMABAD: Members from both sides of the National Assembly on Thursday demanded of the government to ensure protection to journalists and called for constituting a parliamentary committee to probe threatening calls to a senior journalist.
Raising the issue on a point of order, PPP's Nadeem Afzal Gondol said despite a democratic set-up in the country, the journalists are receiving life threats for their freedom of expression.
He expressed concern over threats to journalist Hamid Mir and demanded an inquiry by the parliament iinto the matter. Javed Hashmi of the PML-N said that it was a very important issue as such incidents earned bad name for the country.
Several journalists have lost their lives in the recent past but no inquiry has been conducted, he added. He demanded of the government to ensure safety of Hamid Mir and his family.
Leader of the Opposition Chaudhary Nisar Ali Khan said that the Opposition had raised the issue several times in this august house. He said that media was an important tool of an independent parliament to convey its messages to the public.
He assured the opposition would not support any undemocratic force to derail the system. He said that the PML-N has categorically opposed any possibility of martial law in the country.
He agreed proposal of Khursheed Ahmed Shah that the opposition should accept chairmanship of the proposed committee to probe threats to Hamid Mir.
He said that the opposition always supported the government for strengthening of the institutions and continuation of the system , PPP Chief Whip Syed Khursheed Shah regrtted that in democratic and parliamentary system journalists were being harassed and threatened.
They were threatened because they spoke truth, he added. The minister proposed a parliamentary committee to investigate the matter.
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