ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court directed the administration of Geo TV on Monday to ensure that salaries not paid to employees for the past three months were disbursed at the earliest.

Mir Shakil-ur-Rahman, the editor-in-chief of Geo-Jang Group, appeared before a three-member bench, headed by Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar. The issue of non-payment of salaries had arisen recently during the hearing of a media commission case.

Mr Rahman informed the court that some financial problems had led to the delay in payment of salaries.

The court, however, observed there was no justification for not paying salaries and directed Mr Rahman to resolve the issue at the earliest.

The court formed a committee, to be headed by journalist Hamid Mir, to work out a solution. The employees and the administration will have two representatives each in the committee.

During the hearing, the group’s owner assured the apex court that the issue would be resolved soon. He sought three months for clearing dues, but the chief justice turned down the request, saying that employees had already been suffering for too long.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2018