United opposition in senate slams Nisar over Media curbs

The United opposition in the senate during the senate session on Monday strongly condemned government curbs on media and flayed the Caretaker Information minister for giving statement against TV channels.

The Journalists walked out from the press gallery in Senate on the statement of Nisar Memon. The opposition also staged a token walk out on Mr Memon’s statement.

Hamid Nawaz caretaker interior minister has said the law does not allow calling of UN agencies and if the Pakistan Peoples Party has some evidence, it can share with local investigating agencies or Scotland Yard which would further help to find the culprits behind Benazir’s assassination.

The interior minister while making a policy statement on the issue of law and order said that Scotland Yard has done what the UN independent commission would have done.

Leader of Opposition Raza Rabbani rejected the government’s stance and maintained that PPP demands UN independent commission to investigate into Benazir’s assassination.

Mr Nawaz said that the law enforcing agencies have apprehended the culprits behind the suicide attacks that took place in the country during the recent past.

Earlier, the opposition senators while discussing the imposition of emergency said that it was unlawful, unconstitutional and uncalled for.

Mr Rabbani said that the reasons listed in the imposition were in fact the charge sheet against the then government of Shaukat Aziz. He said instead of dismissing the government the judiciary was sacked.

Mr Rabbani said it was the personal ambition of President Musharraf that led to the proclamation of emergency and was meant for the clinical surgery of the judiciary.

Afzal Haider, law minister while concluding the discussion on emergency said that the extra-ordinary circumstances existed that called for the imposition of emergency.

Senator Raza Rabbani’s privilege motion on the Upper House not completing its constitutional requirement of 90 days was also admitted and sent to the Senate’s privileges committee.