National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza on Monday banned media from covering the proceedings of the standing committees - a step that is aimed at putting the matter of Chief Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar's alleged involvement in improving his daughter's grade in intermediate examination under the carpet. The step has been taken with a mala fide intention, said some opposition leaders.
The government bulldozed the meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Education last week, when the State Minister for Education refused to answer any question from the committee. The move of banning media to cover the meetings of the standing committees is yet another attempt to keep the matter under control.
Spokesman for the National Assembly Secretariat Anjum Mughal, however, clarified that the Speaker had not banned the media. In fact, the matter of media coverage of the standing committees had been left to chairpersons of the committees, he added.
He said it was up to the chairperson of the committee either to invite the media or not. The step was in accordance with the rules of business of National Assembly, he added.