NewsOne TV hit by layoffs and unpaid wages, channel remains on air
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistanâs worsening media crisis and financial instability.
JournalismPakistan.com | Published 7 years ago | JP Staff Report
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ISLAMABAD – The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has condemned the retrenchment of Geo TV employees and accused the channel’s management of committing contempt of court.
Besides Geo, Nai Baat newspaper and Neo TV have also sacked more than 13 staff members.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan had ordered all media groups including Jang and Geo to pay salaries to their workers but instead of doing so, Geo management has started retrenching staffers.
This amounts to contempt as the court had ordered not to lay off any employee, a statement issued by PFUJ President Afzal Butt and Secretary General Ayub Jan Sarhandi said.
The statement said that Geo has laid off at least four low-paid employees without citing any reason. “We do not accept these layoffs and will fight for the rights of these workers,” the statement said.
It said the matter would also be raised before the Supreme Court and all other relevant forums.
“ We call upon Jang and Geo management to immediately reinstate all the sacked employees and pay salaries to their workers without any further delay.”
Butt and Sarhandi also Neo TV and Nai Baat managers to desist from sacking their employees.
“We are also receiving reports from our colleagues in Nai Baat and Neo TV that the management of these two organizations has sacked their employees.
“ We call upon all the managers to desist from such illegal labor practices otherwise we will be holding protest demonstrations outside their offices,” the PFUJ statement said.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistanâs worsening media crisis and financial instability.
June 19, 2020: Urdu newspaper Jehan Pakistan has laid off four reporters and seven newsroom staff in Islamabad, shifting to an online-only format. The management has promised to settle all dues, including three months' wages, for the terminated employees.
May 03, 2020: ARY Digital Network announces a three-month salary cut to cope with the financial crisis due to COVID-19, exempting staff earning up to Rs100,000. DawnNews Television also reduces salaries by 10 percent.
May 01, 2020: DawnNews Television cuts staff salaries by 10 percent and halves fuel allowances amid ongoing financial challenges. This marks the third pay cut in a year, highlighting the severe impact on Pakistani journalists facing layoffs and delayed salaries since 2018.
March 05, 2020: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) condemns the sudden closure of the Daily Asian newspaper, which left 60 journalists jobless. PFUJ urges the government to regulate media licenses to prevent misuse.
October 02, 2019: ARY News and Aaj News Television have terminated 150 employees as part of a downsizing strategy, drawing condemnation from the IFJ and PFUJ. This follows previous layoffs at Dunya News, highlighting growing concerns over job security and unpaid wages for journalists in Pakistan.
October 01, 2019: Dunya Media Group has terminated over 80 employees from its Multan station, following similar layoffs in Lahore. The company plans to centralize operations with fewer staff. The move, which includes paying three months' salaries to laid-off employees, has faced condemnation from journalist unions and the IFJ.
September 26, 2019: Aaj News Television has laid off about a dozen employees from its Lahore and Islamabad offices, including assignment editors, reporters, and camerapersons. The terminations were reportedly abrupt, with no prior notice and no payment for three months' salaries as required by contract.

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