PA to move resolution praising media’s role

* Ruling coalition, Unification group have prepared initial draft of resolution likely to be approved today

By Muhammad Akram

LAHORE: To put an end to the dispute between the media and the Punjab Assembly (PA) over the unprecedented media coverage to the issue of fake degree-holders in parliament, all political forces in the Punjab Assembly will move a separate resolution praising the role of the media in various movements for the restoration of democracy in the country.

The ruling coalition of the PML-N, the PPP and the Unification group have prepared an initial draft of the resolution which is likely to be approved by the joint parliamentary group in its meeting before the start of the assembly session on Monday.

According to sources, Opposition Leader in the PA Chaudhry Zaheeruddin has already filed a resolution in the PA secretariat.

They said the resolutions would be moved out of turn in Monday’s session with the permission of the speaker and would be passed unanimously.

The sources said the PML-Q resolution will have a passing reference to the media’s struggle for the restoration of the judiciary.

The joint resolution by the PML-N, the PPP and Unification Group is likely to be full of all adjectives that a resolution can contain to woo the angry media.

The PML-N sources said the resolution would contain all those praiseworthy words for the media that PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif articulated during a press conference in London.

The PML-N sources said despite orders from Nawaz to his younger brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to throw out certain people, such as the mover of the ‘infamous’ resolution, from the party, an immediate action against Sanaullah Mastikhel is out of question.

“The PML-N can ill-afford a revolt-like situation within its ranks at the moment by throwing out any of its MPAs in the Punjab Assembly since the temperature is still running high among those who had mustered the support of almost the entire House in favour of the resolution. The time is also not ripe for such an action since the party is witnessing the lowest approval rating among the most vocal sections of the society, the media,” a source said.

The sources said the party has already advised the likes of Mastikhel, to abstain from coming to the assembly during the rest of the days of the current session.

The sources said before the beginning of the session on Monday, the PML-N media managers have been advised to finish the task of pacifying angry media people for smooth proceedings of the House on the adoption of the resolution.

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