NA opposition leader protests 'censorship'

ISLAMABAD:

Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan formally wrote a letter to the Speaker of the National Assembly on Tuesday, expressing concerns over what he described as increasing censorship of parliamentary speeches and an alleged breach of constitutional and procedural norms.

In the three-page letter, the NA opposition leader reminded NA Speaker Ayaz Sadiq of his constitutional role as the custodian—not the master—of the House. The letter underscores repeated instances where, according to Ayub, opposition members' speeches were either censored or cut and altered when official footage was requested, raising concerns over transparency and fairness.

"Since the commencement of the current Assembly in 2024, opposition members have faced increasing censorship not only through restricted media coverage but also through the editing and significant alteration of our recorded speeches," he wrote. "When I and other members requested access to official footage of our speeches, we found them substantially cut and manipulated."

"I must also remind you that under the law and tradition, the Speaker is the custodian, not the master of the House," Ayub stated, "The custodian of this august institution cannot arbitrarily suppress or distort the voice of the peoples' representatives."

The opposition leader emphasized that members of the National Assembly are constitutionally entitled to express their views freely.