• Govt delegation meets reporters, assures resolution of demands
• House passes National Fund for Cultural Heritage Bill with a majority vote

ISLAMABAD: Journalists on Thursday walked out of the press gallery of the National Assembly and did not cover its proceedings in protest against layoffs in several media houses and the suspension of salaries in many others.

During the protest, dozens of media persons left the gallery and gathered in the media lobby, where the government sent a team of three MNAs to appease them.

The team comprised MNAs Shazia Marri, Barrister Aqeel Malik, and Monazza Hassan, who met the protesters and assured them that all their demands would be met soon.

Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) President M. B. Soomro presented a charter of demands to the government’s team and called for the formation of a parliamentary implementation committee.

He said media house owners should be summoned and directed to pay all outstanding dues to media workers and withdraw forced layoffs of journalists.

Later, PTI MNA retired Brig Aslam Ghumman pointed out the quorum, and due to low attendance of MNAs, the House was adjourned until Friday (today) at 11:30am.

During the proceedings, Federal Minister for Board of Investment (BoI) Qaisar Ahmed Sheikh said during the question hour that Pakistan has emerged as a strong and stable state and expressed hope that significant foreign investment would come to the country in the coming days.

MNA Naeema Kishwar Khan hailed the government’s foreign policy, saying it was being praised globally. She added that Pakistan should take maximum advantage of the current situation to attract foreign investment.

In response to a separate question, Federal Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Tariq Fazal Chaudhry said no new operation was underway in the country, adding that security forces were carrying out routine actions to maintain peace.

He said that for poverty alleviation, data collection and re-registration are conducted every three years, during which all data and statistics are reviewed.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly passed the National Fund for Cultural Heritage (Amendment) Bill, 2026, with a majority vote.

The bill was presented by the federal minister for parliamentary affairs.

According to the statement of objects and reasons, the original law, enacted in 1994, was intended to protect and preserve Pakistan’s national heritage. It was later amended through an ordinance in 2002.

The fund aims to support the protection of archaeological, historical, architectural, and cultural heritage through financial and technical assistance, while also raising public awareness about the country’s history.

The new amendments were proposed following instructions issued by the Cabinet Division on May 13, 2025, to replace the term “Federal Government” with the relevant authority in existing laws and rules.

The draft amendments were reviewed by the Ministry of Law and Justice. They were approved by the Cabinet Committee for Disposal of Legislative Cases on October 8, 2025, and later ratified by the federal cabinet on October 16, 2025.

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2026