NewsOctober 31 , 2017
Journalists protection bill be tabled within a month: Rabbani
ISLAMABAD: As an unprecedented mark of solidarity with The News reporter Ahmad Noorani and other journalists who had faced attacks, the House suspended proceedings for five minutes on Monday.The Senate also saw the journalist fraternity’s walkout from the press gallery of the House on the assault on senior journalist. Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani said that the bill for the protection of journalists should be tabled in both Houses within a month.
He contended as there weresafeguards for the supremacy and sovereignty of parliament, the same were there for the media. He asked the House Standing Committee on Interior to investigate the attack on Noorani and report to the House within 20 days.
Earlier, the journalists stormed out of the press gallery to agitate the attack on Ahmad Noorani and gathered at the press lounge, where they articulated their grave concerns over the increasing incidents of violence against media persons. They lamented that in the past, they were given assurances by the government functionaries and afterwards, nothing happened and no tangible result came out. On their part, they had been cooperating with every government and ending boycott of the proceedings on mere assurances.
The media persons’ representatives under the banner of Parliamentary Reporters Association articulated their concerns before Minister for Climate Change Senator Mushahidullah Khan and other senators, who came to the press lounge to express solidarity with them. Almost all the senators supported the media persons’ demand for suspension of the proceedings for some time.
Senator Mushahidullah contended that the invisible forces were trying to impose their own agenda by sewing up lips (of media persons). He wondered how there could be any fight with the journalists.
PPP’s Senator Taj Haider said that the matter was extremely serious and that they were told that security cameras had also been installed but they did not capture images of the assailants, who came to there on motorbikes to hit Noorani. On this, Rabbani quipped, “Do you know about invisible people?”
“It was a gruesome incident. So many journalists have already been killed in the line of duty. There should be a strong-worded resolution in the House on this matter. It is quite alarming that a journalist is intercepted in broad daylight and it was an attempt of murder. We are enemies of those who are enemies of journalists. It is the job of brave people to unmask corrupt people,” said Senator Ilyas Bilour of ANP.
They called for arrest of the perpetrators and said if the government failed to do so, it would be construed that some government departments were involved in it.
He moved the Criminal Laws (Amendment) Bill 2017 to amend the Pakistan Penal Code, 1860 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1898 in the Senate for adoption, demanding an end to punishment for attempted suicide. However, the Senate chairman deferred the bill saying it could not be passed without the consent of the Council of Islamic Ideology.
PPP Senator Rehman Malik also supported the bill, observing that the people attempt suicide due to depression and need treatment. However, Law Minister Zahid Hamid said the issue was sensitive and emphasised that since suicide was forbidden in Islam, the bill must be sent to the relevant committee for debate before the Senate passed it.
Courtesy www.thenews.com.pk
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