ISLAMABAD: The Senate was informed on Wednesday that the PML-N government had given advertisements worth Rs15.74 billion to print and electronic media from 2013 to 2017.

The information was provided in response to a question by Senator Azam Khan Swati.

Contrary to the general perception, advertisements worth Rs10.33bn had been given to the print media and Rs5.40bn to the electronic media.

The highest amount of Rs3.84bn had been spent on government ads during 2016-17. The electronic media received ads worth Rs2.23bn during this year.

During its first year in office, the PML-N government had given ads worth Rs1.79bn — Rs1.40bn to print and Rs390.45 million to electronic media.

In 2014-15, the amount was almost doubled to Rs3.20bn, with the print media getting Rs2.23bn and the electronic media Rs968.28m.

In 2015-16, the federal government ads increased further to Rs4.66bn — Rs1.81bn for the electronic media and Rs2.85bn for the print media.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2018