• Streaming halted due to sensitive India-Pakistan situation, says official
• Opposition leader Omar Ayub protests censorship of his speech
• Speaker Ayaz Sadiq insists on authority to expunge content both publicly and privately
ISLAMABAD: For the second day in a row, the National Assembly’s proceedings were not broadcast live on its official social media platforms, as lawmakers continued to deliberate on rising tensions with India following the Pahalgam incident.
The livestream blackout sparked protest from Leader of the Opposition Omar Ayub Khan, who accused the National Assembly of censoring his speech. In response, Speaker Ayaz Sadiq defended the move, asserting his prerogative to expunge content deemed harmful to national interests.
While PTV selectively aired speeches from government members, no proceedings were streamed live on the Assembly’s YouTube or Facebook channels. A senior official from the National Assembly Secretariat attributed the decision to the “sensitive nature” of the current India-Pakistan context, assuring that normal streaming would resume soon.
On Monday, the opposition’s key contributions were notably absent from the broadcast. These included Omar Ayub’s opening speech on India-Pakistan relations, a walkout by JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and remarks from other opposition members.
Although selective editing of opposition speeches has become somewhat routine, a full blackout during a debate of national significance is considered highly unusual. The Assembly’s media team, which typically circulates livestream links via WhatsApp to journalists, had not done so over the last two days.
On Tuesday, Omar Ayub brought up the issue again in the House, specifically highlighting the censorship of his speech. He noted that he repeatedly mentioned during his address that no live feed was active and claimed that his remarks were entirely based on facts. “If someone doesn’t like our voice, they should just say so,” he added. He also reported that he had not been provided a copy of his speech and had to prepare all his correspondence personally due to pressure on his staff.
Speaker Ayaz Sadiq responded by saying the opposition leader’s speech had been broadcast within the National Assembly Secretariat through closed-circuit television. He reaffirmed his authority to remove content he considered inappropriate. “If something contradicts the national interest, I will not allow it to stand,” he said. He added that a reviewed and approved copy of the speech would be made available to Ayub.
The speaker also reiterated his discretionary power to expunge remarks both during floor proceedings and privately in chambers. Addressing Ayub’s concerns about his staff, Sadiq assured that he would intervene if anyone attempted to interfere with their work.
Separately, Omar Ayub submitted a formal complaint to the speaker, stating: “Despite your ruling and commitment on the House floor, my speech was censored and deliberately interrupted by the NA Media and Photography Wing.” He further alleged that his request for official audio and video recordings was denied without legal basis, even though no part of his speech had been ordered to be removed by the speaker at the time.
