Assaults on journalists: Culprits couldn't be traced due to lack of coordination: NA panel

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Thursday observed that on account of serious lack of coordination among government organisations, culprits could not be traced in major assaults on journalists and cases remained inconclusive.

The parliamentary panel expressed its displeasure over the absence of the Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting from the meeting despite his confirmation.

The committee chairman, Mian Javed Latif, warned of resigning if the minister continues to remain absent.

The committee observed that the journalist community is not safe even in Islamabad then what could be talked about other parts of the country.

Due to such attacks, Pakistan's case at the FATF and GSP plus status could compromise, said Marriyum Aurangzeb.

She said that it is the State's responsibility to provide protection and if institutions are not cooperating, the report must be submitted to the Parliament.

While briefing regarding murder attack on former chairman PEMRA/ senior journalist (Absar Alam) and journalist (Asad Toor), the SSP (Operations), Islamabad apprised that a report on the said issue has already been submitted to the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) for geo-fencing, DNA matching and forensic report etc. and a reminder in this regard has also been sent to expedite it.

The chairman Nadra informed that the Nadra has only received the record about Asad Toor from the police department, which was not cleared. He also informed that the Nadra has no mandate in the matters of geo-fencing and DNA matching, which are the subjects of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the Punjab Forensic Science Agency (PFSA), respectively.

The Committee directed the federal secretary, Ministry of Interior to have a meeting with the DG (FIA), Inspector General of Police (ICT), chairman (NADRA), and authorities of the PFSA and submit a report to the Standing Committee in its next meeting.

The Committee also directed the Ministry of Interior to collect all the details of the FIRs and complaints lodged against journalists and media persons from all the provinces and the ICT and provide the same before the next meeting of the committee.

Later, the committee decided that the Federal Minister of Interior may attend the next meeting on the issue of murder attacks and registration of the FIRs against senior journalists.

Additional Inspector General of Police, Special Branch (Sindh), briefed the committee about the latest Joint Investigation Report (JIT) of murder of Aziz Memon, journalist. He informed that during initial investigation of I/O got conducted postmortem, arrested nominated accused Awais Qureshi, and completed legal formalities of the case.

On expiry of stipulated period, an interim challan of the case was submitted by Inspector Shuhab Akbar Kolachi. After that the JIT was constituted by the Home Department, Government of Sindh, Karachi under the chairmanship of the Addl IGP Karachi Region; four sessions/meeting of said JIT were held, during which, exhumation and re-postmortem was conducted, samples were taken for necessary tests/ reports.

The DNA test of 88 suspects were also conducted, out of which the DNA of suspect Nazeer son of Bangul Khan Sahito was matched. In the conclusion of the DNA test, it came on the surface that the accused Nazeer son of Bangul Khan Sahito is the donor of traces/ human epithelial remains other DNA identified on nails of deceased, Aziz Memon son of Adam Khan Memon.

The Committee appreciated the efforts of the Sindh Police and deferred the agenda till its next meeting.

The Committee deferred the government bills, namely, The Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020, The Pakistan Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2020 and a Private Member Bill, The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill, 2020 (moved by Uzma Riaz, MNA) and Calling Attention Notice No 29 regarding increasing obscenity on TV channels (moved by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and other MNAs) till its next meeting.

The meeting was attended by Engr Usman Khan Tarakai, Nasir Khan Musa Zai, Tahir Iqbal, Muhammad Akram Cheema, Aftab Jehangir, Javaria Zafar Aheer, Syma Nadeem, Nadeem Abbas, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Maiza Hameed, Saad Wassem, Zulfiqar Ali Behan, DrNafisa Shah, Naz Baloch, MNAs and Uzma Riaz MNA/ Mover, besides senior officers from Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Ministry of Interior, PEMRA, FIA (Cyber Crime), Nadra, and Police Department, Government of Sindh, and Islamabad.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021