SANA

ISLAMABAD, Nov 17 (SANA): Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Sherry Rehman Monday said the committee set up to implement resolution of in-camera session of the parliament has finalized its working mechanism.

Talking to media persons outside the parliament house after the meeting, she said the committee has selected Leader of the House, Mian Raza Rabbani as its Chairman.

Giving details of the meeting, she said proceedings of the committee will be kept confidential and its decisions would be made public only after full consensus of the members through a joint declaration.

Sherry Rehman said the committee would also send its findings to Chairman Senate, Speaker National Assembly and provide guidelines to the government.

The Minister said the committee has been empowered to call ministers and governments officials to find out progress on its recommendations.

She said to make the committee more effective, it is also empowered to ask the government to implement its recommendations at the earliest and the implementation period should not be more than one month.

The Minister said the committee itself will decide about its timetable and agenda, adding that next meeting would be held on November 20.

Today’s meeting was held in a congenial atmosphere in which resolutions passed on October 22 was discussed in detail, Sherry added.

Replying to a question regarding closure of private TV channels in Karachi and some other parts of Sindh, the Minister said she has taken serious notice of the issue and personally talked to the owners of televisions in this regard.

She said the government has not issued any directive to this effect but it takes responsibility to restore transmission of the channels as it believes in freedom of press.

The government is also providing protection to the cable operators, she added.

Ends-SANA-AR