March 6, 2024
Staff report
ISLAMABAD
Pakistan’s state run television broadcaster Pakistan Television (PTV) is under fire for allegedly censoring the speeches of opposition members, especially parliamentarians belonging to nationalist parties, during the live broadcast of the National Assembly’s (NA) March 4 session.
PTV Parliament, PTV’s sole channel dedicated to recording and broadcasting live parliamentary proceedings without any interruptions, ran ads and reruns of a different program from PTV National during the speeches of presidential candidate and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PKMAP) chief Mahmood Khan Achakzai, chairman of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) Muhammad Akhtar Mengal, and former NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.
Speaking to Voicepk.net, Mengal emphasized that silencing voices is characteristic of martial law.
“Martial law is when freedom of expression and of opinion are barred. We are prevented from expressing ourselves, journalists are being prevented from reporting, parliamentarians are being prevented from making speeches,” he asserted. “When one’s expression of opinion through their vote is circumvented, like how Fatima Jinnah’s votes were changed or how Bangladesh’s majority was converted to the minority, this is considered martial law.”
Former Federal Minister of Information Muhammad Ali Durrani said that PTV Parliament is subordinate to the NA Speaker, and therefore the Speaker bears responsibility for any disruptions in broadcasts of parliamentary sessions.
“The NA Speaker is the authority in this regard,” he held. “PTV does not have the authority to decide what it can and cannot show. Furthermore, the Speaker has a responsibility to protect and ensure this transmission. All parliamentary sessions should be recorded and made available to all people.”
Former NA Deputy Speaker Faisal Kareem Kundi however opined that former caretaker Federal Minister for Information Murtaza Solangi should explain why the broadcast was interrupted.
“The former Information Minister, who postured himself as a champion of the media and democracy should tell us why [the broadcast] was interrupted,” he demanded.
Despite multiple attempts to contact Solangi, Voicepk.net received no response.
Senior parliamentarians and journalists have called for a formal inquiry into the alleged censorship of parliamentary proceedings, and strict action should be taken against those responsible for denying the members the right to be heard.