ISLAMABAD, Oct 28: Journalists covering the proceedings of the Senate on Tuesday staged a token walkout from the press gallery to protest over the attitude of the police officials deputed at security checkpoints set up around the Parliament House building causing great inconvenience to the commuters.

Instead of addressing the grievances, a late night order put another condition on the journalists asking them to also carry their national identity cards with them along with the office cards while entering the “red zone”.

The journalists walked out of the press gallery at the outset of the session when Senate Chairman Mohammedmian Soomro gave floor to Awami National Party (ANP) senator Ilyas Bilour to open a debate on the address of President Asif Ali Zardari to the joint session of the parliament on September 20.

On the directives of the chairman, Senator Babar Awan of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Seemin Siddiqui of the Pakistan Muslim League- (PML) and Shahid Bugti of Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) went to the press lounge to talk to the representatives of the journalists, who complained about the maltreatment of some of their colleagues at the hands of the police officials.

The senators assured the protesting journalists that they would raise their concerns on the floor of the house and requested them to end their protest.

Later, the journalists returned to the gallery following the instructions of the chairman to the government to look into the matter seriously.

Babar Awan suggested that a senior police officer should also be deputed outside the Parliament House to facilitate the journalists and other visitors.

The residents of Islamabad have been facing great inconvenience due to road blockades at various points in the wake of recent suicide attacks in the country, particularly in the capital.

As the Parliament House building is located in the red zone created by the security agencies to prevent major buildings from possible terrorists’ attacks, the area is under a virtual siege.