QUETTA: The chairman of the Senate’s Functional Committee on Less-Deve­lop­ed Areas, Muhammad Usman Kakar, has said that closure of PTV Bolan would not be tolerated at any cost and that the information ministry should not even think about it.

Presiding over a meeting of the committee on Thurs­day, he expressed concern over the reports regarding imminent closure of the PTV channel representing Baloch­istan and said that the Mini­stry of Information and Bro­ad­casting had been ignoring the province for a long time.

Those who attended the meeting included senators Kabir Ahmed Muhammad­shahi, Dr Jahanzeb Jamal­dini, Nisar Muhammad and Khalida Perveen and officials concerned of PTV and the information and broadcasting ministry.

The meeting observed that for a long time the employees, artists and singers associated with PTV’s Quetta centre had not been paid salaries/remuneration by the ministry that had been causing serious financial difficulties to them.

The committee directed the ministry to ensure release of PTV Quetta centre’s funds till Dec 20 for the payment of dues of the employees, artists and resource persons.

The meeting reviewed implementation of the recommendations the committee had finalised in its last meeting and also discussed other issues, including a proposal to establish offices of Lok Virsa in the capitals of the four provinces and performance of the cultural institute.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2017