ISLAMABAD: The Na­­­­­t­ional Assembly Sta­nd­ing Committee on Infor­ma­tion and Broadcasting has directed PTV to pay salaries and pensions to current and retired emp­loyees before Eidul Azha.

The committee chair­m­­an, MNA Pullain Ba­­loch, also issued similar directives to Radio Pak­istan and the Shalimar Broad­casting Company, a public limited organisation that operates A-TV channel and FM Radio 94.

The committee was informed that PTV generated an advertising revenue of Rs7.5 billion, surpassing the target of Rs6.19bn in the last financial year.

The target for the current year was likely to be achieved.

The committee was also told the PTV was facing financial constraints as a major chunk of Rs10bn collected as TV fee in electricity bills is spent on salaries and pensions.

Regarding the delay in payment of salaries, the PTV officials told the committee that funds were diverted to pay international financial obligations and acquisition of international media rights.

It resulted in temporary financial constraints, the officials claimed.

The PTV management also presented details of employees who were appointed due to political affiliation and subsequently laid off during the ongoing restructuring.

While taking notice of delay in allotment of plots to journalists in sectors F-14 and F-15 and Barha Kahu in Islamabad, the committee directed the information ministry to scrutinise the applications and redress the grievances of aspirants within the next two months.

The committee members said journalists were facing multitude of issues due to this inordinate delay on the part of the ministry.

The meeting also reviewed the report of a subcommittee chaired by MNA Mahtab Akbar Rashdi on the Pemra (Amendment) Bill, 2025, moved by Asia Naz Tanoli.

The committee direc­ted Pemra to give its views on the subcommittee’s recommendations.

The convener and the mover of the bill separately briefed the committee on the report.

Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025