The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information held its meeting on road in protest against noncompliance of its summoning order, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Reportedly, NA Standing Committee on Information Chairman Javed Latif held its meeting on road on Wednesday in protest as the chairman rued that despite the body’s summoning order, former top judges Rana Shamim, Saqib Nisar and federal Information Minister Fawad Ch didn’t care to appear before it.

“Today we are forced to hold a meeting of the committee on road in protest. We will also summon Javed Hashmi in the next session,” the chairman said.

The NA committee held its meeting-cum-protest outside the PTV Headquarters. The meeting was attended by the members belonging to the PPP and PML-N.

Talking to media, Javed Latif complained that the committee held several meetings on important issues but never ever the information minister attended the meeting. Due to his obduracy, we are forced to hold our session on road, he said adding that the meeting was to discuss the matter pertaining to Rana Shamim but both Rana Shamim and Saqib Nisar opted to skip the committee.

He said the standing committee secretary wrote a letter on Dec 21 and ministry approved it. On information minister’s wish, it was decided that the meeting was to be held at PTV. But three days ago, the minister said that the matter was sub judice so the meeting could not be held, he added.

He said that the committee would summon Javed Hashmi in its next session.

He was of the view that NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had become a hostage to ministers’ whims, that’s why he called sessions and prepared agendas as per ministers’ wishes.  

Reporter Kafayat Ali Shah