The National Assembly YouTube channel has become fully operational again after a short disruption, with officials firmly rejecting claims that it was deliberately shut down. A spokesperson for the lower house clarified that the issue stemmed from a temporary technical fault, not any attempt to block public access to parliamentary proceedings.
Reports began circulating earlier this week after users noticed that live streams of National Assembly sessions were not visible on the platform. The situation sparked speculation and concern, especially as the disruption coincided with important parliamentary activity in Islamabad.
In an official statement shared on social media late Friday, the National Assembly spokesperson emphasized that the channel was not shut down at any point. He explained that a social media server outage briefly affected accessibility, but the issue was resolved within the same day. Once the glitch was removed, the channel resumed normal operations.
The spokesperson further noted that recordings of the recent joint session of parliament, including speeches delivered by lawmakers, have now been uploaded and are available for public viewing. He reiterated the Assembly’s commitment to transparency and public engagement through digital platforms.
In recent years, the National Assembly has regularly used its official YouTube channel to broadcast proceedings live, allowing citizens across the country to follow debates and legislative activity in real time. The brief absence of coverage, however, raised questions as parliamentary sessions were also not aired on state television during the same period.
Opposition lawmakers reacted strongly to the lack of coverage, with some alleging that the government was attempting to restrict public access to parliamentary debates. Despite these claims, National Assembly officials consistently maintained that the disruption was purely technical and not politically motivated.
The issue gained further attention as a joint session of parliament, summoned by President Asif Ali Zardari, was held on Friday. During the sitting, lawmakers passed three bills that had earlier been returned by the president without signature. These included the National Commission for Human Rights Amendment Bill 2025, the Daanish Schools Authority Bill 2025, and the Domestic Violence Prevention and Protection Bill 2025.
Officials stressed that digital access to parliamentary proceedings remains a priority and that measures are in place to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
