'Fake' list of lawmakers: Pemra asked to take decision about complaint against TV channel

National Assembly Standing Committee on Rules of Procedure and Privileges disposed of the issue relating to a list of 37 lawmakers having links with banned organization, allegedly issued by the Intelligence Bureau (IB), and said that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) should decide about the complaint against the TV channel that aired the news report.
The Committee met with Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon in the chair at here at Parliament house on Thursday. The Committee discussed various privilege motions moved by the members of the National Assembly about different issues.
PEMRA Chairman Absar Alam briefed the committee about proceedings of the authority regarding the list of 37 legislators. He said that Pemra is proceeding with the issue according to the rules and regulations on the complaint to the IB. He said that it was decided to hold a meeting of Council of Complaints (CoC) in Islamabad. However, he said that meanwhile the private TV channel filed a petition in the Islamabad High Court praying the proceedings of the CoC be stopped. The Islamabad High Court has granted stay order until hearing the case on October 31.
Chaudhry Bilal Ahmed Virk said that 37 members of the house faced a traumatic situation after their names were aired by a private TV channel. Even, a foreign university also sought explanation from the son of MNA Awais Ahmed Khan Leghari after the news report. He said that even visas were rejected to some MNAs.
He said that IB has also rejected the list and termed it fabricated. "I cannot fight with the TV channel. They are powerful people. The IB has ensured us through written words that the list is a fabricated one," he said.
The committee also deferred the questions of privilege raised by MNAs Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Shazia Marri, Syed Imran Ahmed Shah, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mir Aijaz Hussain Jakhrani and Mian Imtiaz Ahmed.
On the amendment moved by MNA Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, the committee unanimously decided that as per rules, MNA Dr Nafeesa Shah would be invited to this agenda in the next meeting of the committee as a mover on the amendment in Rule 122 and 244 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007.
While taking a suo motu notice against vice chancellor of Muhammad Nawaz Sharif University of Agriculture, Multan, regarding not properly inviting MNA Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon to the seminar on Promotion of Oil Seeds & IPM in Cotton 2017, held on 7th October, 2017, the committee unanimously directed that the vice chancellor should attend the next meeting of the committee in this regard.
On the complaint of MNA Abdul Majid Khan Khanankhail against President Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) for not giving him time for a meeting, the committee took suo motu of the matter and directed the President ZTBL to attend the next meeting of the committee in this regard.
On the question of privilege raised by MNA Ayesha Gulalai regarding "malicious" and "vilified" campaign against her on social media, the committee directed that only FIA should report to the committee in the said matter and the chairman PTA is not required to attend the next meeting on the said matter yet.
On the matter regarding issuance of gratis passports to the spouses of ex-MNAs, the committee unanimously decided that the gratis passports should be given to the spouses of ex-MNAs.
The meeting was attended by Ch Khadim Hussain, Chaudhary Mahmood Bashir Virk, Rana Umer Nazir Khan, Ch Bilal Ahmed Virk, Azhar Qayyum Nahra, Abdul Majid Khan Khanankhail, Sheikh Muhammad Akram, Mumtaz Ahmed Tarar, Kiran Haider, Muhammad Ali Rashid and Asiya Nasir, MNAs/members. The meeting was also attended by Rana Muhammad Afzal Khan, Shazia Marri and Naeema Kishwar Khan, MNAs/movers.