EMRA President Asif Butt, PFUJ delegation headed Secretary General Rana Azeem and PUJ President Shehzad Hussain Butt calls on PA Speaker Parvez Elahi
LAHORE: Punjab Assembly Speaker Ch Parvez Elahi said that for the freedom of press and for the journalists in Pakistan. I am ahead of all, our party firmly believes in freedom of press, I myself will stand against those who obstruct this, journalists and MPAs are respectable and worthy of respect.
He was talking to EMRA President Asif Butt and a delegation headed by PFUJ Secretary General Rana Azeem and PUJ President Shehzad Hussain Butt who called on him at his residence here on Saturday.
Delegation also included Mubashir Butt, Rana Usman, Mohammad Shahid Chaudhry, Mohammad Farooq Jauhri, Rana Mazhar whereas Secretary Assembly Mohammad Khan Bhatti and Secretary Coordination Rai Mumtaz.
During the meeting detailed discussion was held on a controversial bill regarding the journalists, clauses against journalists regarding the journalists in the Punjab Assembly were removed with consensus. During Punjab Assembly proceedings if the Speaker Punjab Assembly directs to delete some words from the proceedings then it will be compulsory for the entire print and electronic media, if an MPA comes out of the House and talks to the media then the journalists can put all sorts of questions on him, powers of the Speaker regarding the MPAs will remain the same, Disciplinary Committee was constituted regarding the journalists, the Committee will be headed by Speaker Punjab Assembly which will also include representatives of the journalists.
New building of the Punjab Assembly is still in the process of its completion due to which journalists are facing difficulties in their entry, all will be allowed the moment the new building is completed.
EMRA President Asif Butt said that the entire journalists’ community acknowledged the services of Ch Parvez Elahi. ‘We believe that in the freedom of press you will be standing ahead of us like always’, he added.
Rana Azeem said that your services for the journalists cannot be forgotten. Shehzad Hussain Butt said that because of you journalists all over the Punjab are sitting in their homes because of you.
