JournalismPakistan.com
June 29, 2016

ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage has been informed that 15 employees of Pakistan Television (PTV), appointed during the past two years, have been sacked.

The committee's secretary and PTV Managing Director Syed Imran Gardezi informed the meeting, chaired by Pir Aslam Bodla, that those sacked were getting hefty salaries ranging from Rs600,000 to Rs700,000 per month. He said investigations are being held into illegal appointments and illegal purchase of television plays from the market.

He said a three-member committee has been constituted to probe various allegations against the former PTV MD Abdul Malick. The committee was informed that PTV has restarted the process of its own drama production.

Some of the committee members said that video of Dr. Asim Hussain shown by various private channels was a media trial.

Member National Assembly Imran Zafar Leghari asked if it was a violation of PEMRA rules and regulations. PMLN spokesperson Talal Chaudhry said it was a media trial which should be avoided and PEMRA should examine how this video was leaked.

He said the National Assembly speaker has written a letter to PEMRA for a separate channel for parliament’s coverage.

The committee's secretary said PTV would launch a new channel for parliamentary coverage if required funds were provided. Being a state channel, it does not need any new license, he said.

The committee expressed displeasure over the telecast of a mobile phone advertisement in which a girl goes to cricket camp without permission of her father. Parveen Masood Bhatti and Naeema Kishwar remarked, “What moral values are being taught to the new generation through such advertisements?” - APP