Asim Yasin ISLAMABAD: The PML-N government on Monday agreed to demand of the opposition parties to live telecast proceedings of the budget session from Tuesday (today).It would be for the first time in parliamentary history of Pakistan that speeches of the members of the National Assembly during budget debate would be telecast live. The opposition parties staged walkout from the house to press for their demand. The Speaker had to adjourn the session for 15 minutes to resolve the issue but the proceedings could resume after over two hours’ meeting between the government and leaders of the opposition parties in the Speaker’s chamber. “Pakistan Television will be able to feed private television channels for live telecast of the budget session from tomorrow,” Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid told the house after talks with the opposition leader and parliamentary leaders of the opposition parties on the issue. The minister said it would be up to the private televisions to live telecast speeches of parliamentarians at their own choice. “It also goes to credit of then PML-N government also to live telecast question hour of the National Assembly sessions from 1997 to 1999,” he said. He said that he held a brief meeting with official of Pakistan Television and they have told him that no new channel was required as private channels could be fed to show live broadcast of proceedings. Opposition leader Syed Khurshid Shah and leaders of other opposition parties including Shah Mehmood Qureshi (PTI), Abdul Rashid Godal (MQM) and Sahibzada Tariqullah (JI) appreciated the government’s gesture. Khurshid Shah assured that the opposition members would hold healthy debate and would not exploit the situation of live telecast for political purpose. The other leaders of the opposition parties said the quality of debate would improve with start of live telecast of proceedings of the budget session. Shah Memood Qureshi said Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar played key role reaching reconciliation between the government the opposition parties.Earlier, the opposition parties walked out from the house to press for their demand. “We give free hand to the government to get the budget passed in two days but will not take part in budget speeches unless proceedings are shown live,” Shah said before leading the walkout. He said the government should demonstrate goodwill gesture and set a new democratic tradition. In response, the information minister said he could not take any decision on his own and a sense of the house was required for this purpose. Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanvir Hussain, however, took some hard stance saying that the opposition was indulging in point-scoring by demanding live telecast of proceedings of the budget session. Abdul Rahid Godail of MQM said when the government managed live telecast of joint sitting of the Parliament, why it was not possible now to do it. Qureshi said that live broadcast of house proceedings would be a positive step to strengthen parliamentary oversight of people.
