Supremacy of Parliament to Be Honored At All Costs: NA Body

ISLAMABAD: The Standing Committee of National Assembly on Rules of Procedure and Privileges on Monday categorically stated that nobody is above the law and supremacy of the Parliament should be honored at all costs.

The committee under the chairmanship of Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, MNA also directed to inform all federal/provincial secretaries, ministries, divisions, departments that disciplinary action would be taken against them as per law if they do not attend the phone calls of the parliamentarians.

The committee passed these recommendations on the complaint of Chairman Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Noor Alam Khan.

The committee recommended that strict disciplinary action should be taken if any one transgress or challenge the authority of the Parliament by avoiding the directions of the parliament/committees.

On the question of privilege raised by Romina Khursheed Alam, MNA regarding alleged baseless propaganda on social, print and electronic media that a 25 person delegation attended the 65th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) conference in Canada, the Committee directed for necessary amendments in the defamation Act/Rules.

The committee also directed the Secretary, M/o Information and Broadcasting to have a joint consultative meeting including the representatives of PEMRA, PTA and FIA for resolving the issue. The Committee was of the opinion to increase the fine on such TV channels from one million to five million rupees and strengthen PEMRA and PTA.

The meeting was attended by Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Usama Qadri, Nawab Sher, Makhdoom Syed Sami-ul-Hassan Gillani, Sardar Riaz Mahmood Khan Mazari, Muhammad Sajjad, Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhary, Pir Syed Fazal Ali Shah Jillani, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah, Shagufta Jumani, Zahid Akram Durrani, MNA, Deputy Speaker, Nuzhat Pathan, MNA, Salahuddin Ayubi, MNA, Rana Shamim Ahmed Khan, Romina Khursheed Alam, Mahar Irshad Ahmad Khan Sial, and Noor Alam Khan, MNA/Chairman, PAC. The meeting was also attended by Nawabzada Shah Zain Bugti, MNA/Minister.

Source: Urdu Point