The treasury members fell short to stage a walkout from National Assembly on Wednesday for not giving them live coverage on state-run PTV while the opposition staged a token walkout in protest for what they said government backtracked from its commitment to live telecast the speeches of the members on budget 2015-16.
Owais Leghari of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) abruptly interrupted the budget speech of his colleague Mohammad Raza Hayat Harraj, saying: "Mr Speaker, yesterday (Tuesday), opposition and government decided by sitting in your chamber that PTV will live telecast to the speeches of the members but it did not happen. PTV is not live telecasting the treasury members speeches...who has given it [PTV] the authority to turn down the decision of parliament".
Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, who was presiding over the session, asked the federal minister for inter-provincial co-ordination Raiz Hussain Pirzada to take notice of the issue, who said that the government has given live feed to the private channels and it's up to them whether they telecast it live or not.
He said that it is not possible to live telecast the speeches of all the members as the TV channels had to telecast news bulletins, advertisements and other programmes as well, however, the information minister can better brief the house on the issue. Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah said that the government should fulfil its commitment of live coverage on PTV as it was agreed on Tuesday.
Leghari said that the session of the House has started at 10:00am and now it is almost noon but PTV did not give any live coverage to the members belonging to treasury. "Mr Speaker, summon MD PTV in your chamber and ask him what's going on," he protested. He said that the opposition staged walkout from the House for not giving live coverage to them on Tuesday, adding that PTV telecasted their criticism live but it is not ready to telecast the viewpoint of the government.
Opposition Leader said that it was the right of other members as well, adding that live coverage of the NA proceeding would strengthen it further. Abdul Rashid Godil said that government made commitment on Tuesday but it did not live up to its commitment. "Live coverage is the right of treasury and opposition members, and give across the board live coverage to the lawmakers." Afterwards, the members of all opposition parties staged a token walkout in protest against not giving live coverage to their speeches during the debate on Budget 2015-16.
Raza Hayat Harraj said that parliament had decided to give live coverage to all the members' speeches but it was yet to be known who has turned down the decision. Deputy Speaker said that Raiz Hussain Pirzada went to the chamber of Information Minister Pervez Rasheed to call him in the House. Deputy Speaker gave the floor to Rao Muhammad Ajmal of PML-N who said that he would not speak unless it was ensured that his speech would be telecast live, adding the decision taken by the house must be implemented.
Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi said: "If you do not want to speak I will give the floor to other member, to which he said, "I am not interested if no live coverage is given to him". Afterwards, Information Minster Pervez Rashid entered the House and said that the government has fulfilled 100 percent commitment, saying that they were providing live feed of the proceeding of the Lower House of the Parliament to private TV channels. "We did what we had to do and if private channels are not picking the live feed, it is not my fault," he stated. The PTV, like all other channels, he added, telecasts news, commercial and other programes.