Journalists on Wednesday staged a token walkout in the Senate against the manhandling of a private TV channel reporter in Rawalpindi on Tuesday night. Baber Malik, a reporter of private TV channel was allegedly picked by the personnel of secret agencies and beat him severally which led to stage a token walkout by the media men in Senate.
Senator Kamil Ali Aga, State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs motivated the protesting journalists to rejoin the proceeding after assuring that serious action would be taken against the responsible elements. Leader of the House in Senate, Wasim Sajjad condemned the mishandling of the journalist and asked the concerned authority to probe into the matter.
Mian Raza Rabani, Opposition leader in Senate also strongly condemned the act and demanded to expose the culprits and take action against them. He said that it is shame to democracy that secret agencies torture working journalists without any reason.
On a point of order, Senator Dr Abdul Malik said that Water and Power Ministry has not constructed Mirani Dam on proper design due to which Rs 5 million people were affected and demanded the chair to take notice in this regard. He further said that government should allow international NGOs to visit the flood-affected areas and take part in the relief and rehabilitation activities there without any NOC.
Senator Khalid Mehamood Soomro criticised the government that merit is being badly violated in Sindh while making recruitment's against different vacancies in the government departments.
He harshly condemned that in population department about 4,000 jobs are lying vacant and the government is negligent in this mater to induct employees on these vacant positions.
At this Provincial Co-ordination Minister Saleem Saifullah said that MMA should first look into the irregularities in the recruitment's in NWFP, where merit is being highly violated by the provincial government and he claimed that he had solid proofs of irregularities committed by the MMA government in NWFP.
He further said speedy rehabilitation process has been started by the government in Balochistan to give relief to the flood-affected people.
Senator Kulsoom Perveen criticised the working of Sports Ministry saying that if due attention was not given to sports then there is no chance to improve the current condition as Pakistan was at time champion of hockey, cricket and squash however Pakistan has lost previous glory in sports.
She demanded of the government to take action on irregularities in cricket board and direct the cricket board not to allow the national cricket team players to go to India.
Senator Rozina Alam said that Quaid-e-Azam statue in Toronto, Canada that was built with the cost of $24,000 was smashed and demanded of the government to take notice in this regard.