ISLAMABAD, Dec 15: A privilege question raised by the “Forward Bloc” in the ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) resounded in and out of the National Assembly on Thursday even before a formal debate, creating embarrassment for the state television and even the opposition ranks.

People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) MNA Naheed Khan wanted to raise the issue on a point of order that the Current Affairs section of Pakistan Television (PTV) had banned eight members of the “Forward Bloc” from participating in any programme.

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain did not allow Ms Khan to raise the issue which prompted her to stage a walkout. However, senior members of the party, including Khurshid Shah, Raja Pervez Ashraf, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Nayyar Bokhari, refused to stage the walkout with Ms Khan and some party back-benchers, showing lack of coordination and discipline in the party.

Later, Ms Khan distributed copies of the official letter sent to the heads of the current affairs sections of all the PTV stations, chief editor (news) and other authorities concerned by Chief Editor Current Affairs Mashkoor Ahmed Najm asking them to “ensure” that the eight members of the “Forward Bloc”, who had addressed a press conference on December 9, were “not participating in the current affairs programmes” from their stations “till further orders”.

In the letter, the editor current affairs had also given the names of the eight members of the “Forward Bloc” including the Public Accounts Committee chairman, Malik Allahyar Khan, Riaz Pirzada, Farooq Amjad Mir, Mazhar Qureshi, Farooq Azam and Akhtar Kanjoo.

Meanwhile, speaking at a news conference at the cafeteria of the Parliament House, the members of the “Forward Bloc” announced that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz had suspended Mr Najm for banning them from the PTV programmes.

MNAs Riaz Pirzada, Mazher Qureshi and Farooq Amjad Mir said that they had had a meeting with the prime minister and took up the matter with him. They said the prime minister had directed the information minister to withdraw the letter and give proper coverage to the “Forward Bloc” members.

Replying to a question, they said the group would show its strength to the public after a meeting with President Musharraf.

They said that the prime minister had also been asked to arrange their meeting with the president.

The members claimed that they had the support of former president Farooq Leghari and said President Musharraf and Shaukat Aziz were their party leaders.

They also termed suspension of the PTV official the groups’s first victory. They said they would not press the speaker to take up their privilege motion after the prime minister’s assurance.