ISLAMABAD: The Nat­io­nal Assembly Standing Com­mittee on Information and Broad­cas­ting on Wed­nesday summoned Pakistan Electronic Media Regu­lat­o­­ry Authority (Pemra) Chair­man Saleem Baig to present a report on the TV channels that ran a “malicious campaign” regarding the recent visit of a parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, to Canada.

The committee, which met under its chairperson Javairia Zafar Aheer, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) dissident, “strongly condemned” the malicious media campaign about the parliamentary delegation’s visit to Canada last month.

The matter had been refer­r­­ed to the committee by the spe­­­aker himself, according to an official handout issued by the National Assembly Secretariat.

The delegation had visited Canada to participate in the 65th Commonwealth Parlia­m­e­ntary Conference (CPC). When the delegation was still in Can­ada, some TV channels repor­ted that the speaker was leading a 25-member delegation at a time when the country was reeling under the unprecedented floods. The TV channels ran the story while showing the pictures of the speaker and some members of the delegation during an excursion to the famous Niagra Falls.

The news generated a debate on the social media between the supporters and the opponents of the present ruling coalition government.

Upon his return from Cana­­da, Speaker Raja Pervez Ash­raf took a serious notice of the “malicious media campaign” surrounding the parliamentary delegation’s visit to Canada and directed National Assem­bly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting “to hold an inquiry and expose elements involved in such uncalled-for and politically-motivated propaganda.”

The NA Secretariat refuted the claim that the speaker was heading a huge delegation at the expense of tax-payers.

Published in Dawn, September 8th, 2022