AML chief moves privilege motion against Pervaiz Rashid

ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid moved on Monday a privilege motion against Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid for ‘misleading’ parliament over the opposition’s blackout by state-run Pakistan Television during National Assembly proceedings of April 7.

The information minister misled the house by stating that the opposition was not given coverage on the direction of the National Assembly speaker. However, his stance was rejected by the speaker, said the privilege motion moved by AML chief Sheikh Rashid.



The issue came under discussion during a joint-sitting of parliament on Monday when Rashid pointed out that the information minister misled the house last week by saying that opposition’s speeches were blacked out on the direction of National Assembly Speaker. But he claimed that was rejected.

He informed the house that the minister lied on Monday on the floor of the house. Responding to him, the speaker informed the house that he would call a meeting to take up the issue.

It is worth mentioning here that the opposition parties had criticised the PTV’s management for the complete blackout of the former’s speech during a heated debate over Panama Leaks issue last week. The opposition parties had said that the PTV only gave coverage to the treasury benches but ignored the opposition, which is unfair.



Earlier, last week opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah also wrote a letter to Speaker Sardar Sadiq and requested him to take action against the PTV’s management for completely blacking out the opposition parties on April 7 during the NA session.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th,  2016.