ISLAMABAD: While two members of the National Assembly from Waziristan have claimed that they were not allowed to hold a presser at the National Press Club (NPC), the latter said that the lawmakers did not make a booking for the purpose.

The matter got a response from the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party when chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday expressed “extreme disappointment” over what he said refusal by the NPC to allow the MNAs to hold their press conference on Friday.

“While censorship has reached new heights, press clubs have always been sanctuaries of free speech even under the worst dictatorship,” Mr Bhutto-Zardari said in his tweet.

Independent MNA Mohsin Dawar claimed on social media on Friday that he and MNA Ali Wazir were not allowed to hold the press conference at the NPC “despite having a booking”.

The two MNAs had been associated with the Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) before elections. The PTM is working for Pashtun rights.

However, NPC president Shakeel Qarar said that the MNAs were not allowed to hold a press conference because they had not made a booking.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2019