KARACHI, March 22: Journalists covering the Sindh assembly proceedings on Monday boycotted the chief minister's press briefing after they were maltreated by security officials and not allowed free movement inside the assembly building.

Journalists holding valid entry cards were first stopped at the main gate. Later, some plain-clothed officials did not allow them to proceed to the corridor in which the office of the speaker, Syed Muzaffar Hussain Shah, and the opposition leader's chambers are located.

In the meantime, when the CM's press officer came and asked them to go to the CM's chamber for a press briefing, the enraged journalists refused to oblige saying they had been insulted.

Later on Monday, the adviser to chief minister on information and archives, Salahuddin Haider, issued a statement to express regrets over the 'unfortunate incident', adds APP.

The adviser said security arrangements, as a matter of precaution, had been adopted to stop a scheduled protest march to the Sindh assembly and to ensure its smooth functioning.

He pointed out that even the ministers/advisers with flagged cars were asked to take an alternative route to the Assembly Hall.

Mr Haider said the security steps caused some unpleasantness to members of the Media community who looked agitated but were pacified by a team of ministers including Irfan Gul Magsi and Chaudhry Iftikhar Ahmed, adviser Aftab Ahmed Shaikh and Abdul Qaddus, MPA in charge of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement's media committee.

Mr Haider said the newsmen wanted to speak to the chief minister to bring to his notice the alleged high-handedness by the staff deputed for security at the assembly building.

He said the chief minister on the request of his cabinet colleagues came out of his office to receive the journalists but the newsmen had left the premises by then.

He said the chief minister and members of the cabinet had assured the mediamen in a statement that they held the journalist community, photographers, camera crew, etc, in great esteem and would always uphold their cause. If any unpleasantness had occurred, it must have been the result of misunderstanding which, they agreed, would have to be avoided, the adviser said.