ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information on Monday decided to invite former chief justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar, ex-chief justice of Gilgit-Baltistan Rana Mohammad Shamim along with The News Editor-in-Chief Mir Shakeelur Rehman to its next meeting on Dec 15 to explain their points of view on a news item that appeared in the electronic and print media.

According to the report, the former GB chief judge claimed in an affidavit that Saqib Nisar had directed a judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) not to release PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz before the 2018 elections.

Deputy Inspector General (DIG) operations of Islamabad police Afzal Ahmed Kausar briefed the committee about the progress made in the investigation into attacks on former Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) chairman Absar Alam and senior journalists Hamid Mir, Matiullah Jan, Asma Sherazi and Asad Toor.

The DIG informed the committee about the efforts being made by the police to arrest the culprits involved in the attacks.

He assured the committee that the police would also take up provision of security to the journalists in their departmental committee meeting.

The committee deferred the government bills: Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill 2020, Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2020, Associated Press of Pakistan Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2020 and a private member bill, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Amendment) Bill 2020, moved by MNA Uzma Riaz.

The committee also deferred a calling attention notice moved by Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali and others regarding increasing obscenity on TV channels till its next meeting due to paucity of time.

The meeting was attended by Ali Nawaz Awan, Tahir Iqbal, Mohammad Akram Cheema, Javaria Zafar Aheer, Syma Nadeem, Maiza Hameed, Saad Waseem and Dr Nafisa Shah,.

MNAs Uzma Riaz and Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali were present in the meeting as movers.

Published in Dawn, December 7th, 2021