Pakistan
Pakistani journalists boycott National Assembly over layoffs, unpaid salaries
Pakistani journalists staged a walkout from the press gallery of the National Assembly in Islamabad on Tuesday, boycotting coverage of parliamentary proceedings to protest recent layoffs and the suspension of salaries across several media organisations.
During the protest, dozens of journalists vacated the gallery and gathered in the media lobby. In response, the government sent a delegation of three Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) to engage with the protesting journalists, according to Dawn News.
The delegation included MNAs Shazia Marri, Barrister Aqeel Malik, and Monazza Hassan, who met the journalists and assured them that their concerns would be addressed.
Meanwhile, Parliamentary Reporters Association (PRA) President M. B. Soomro submitted a charter of demands to the government representatives, calling for the formation of a parliamentary implementation committee to address the crisis.
The PRA also demanded that media house owners be summoned and instructed to clear all outstanding dues of media workers and reverse the forced layoffs affecting journalists.
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