Tarar presses TV owners on journalists' welfare

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 6 November 2026 |  JP Staff Report

Information Minister Attaullah Tarar urged TV broadcasters and the Pakistan Broadcasters Association to set up a welfare fund and compensate journalists killed on duty, noting channels earn ad and digital revenue and calling on PEMRA to assist.

Summary

ISLAMABAD — Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar has urged television broadcasters to establish a welfare fund for journalists and introduce compensation for those who die in the line of duty, questioning why media organizations earning advertising and digital revenue have not provided adequate financial protection for their employees.

In remarks reported by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) on November 5, Tarar called on the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) to develop a comprehensive welfare mechanism. He pointed out that television channels receive government and private-sector advertising and generate additional income through digital platforms. The minister also said the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) should play its part in addressing the issue.

Broadcasters urged to accept responsibility

The minister's intervention followed his visit to journalist Muhammad Aslam Khokhar, who is undergoing treatment at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad. Tarar inquired about his condition, met doctors overseeing his treatment, and handed him an employment letter. He also assured journalists of government support during difficult times.

However, the latest appeal goes beyond assistance to an individual journalist. It raises questions about the responsibilities of broadcasters toward employees facing illness, financial hardship or death while performing professional duties. No specific funding arrangement, contribution formula or implementation timetable was announced.

JournalismPakistan has tracked welfare concerns for years

The absence of adequate financial protection is not a new concern. JournalismPakistan has documented repeated demands for welfare arrangements, unpaid salaries and greater accountability of media employers for years.

On April 29, 2017, JournalismPakistan reported that the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting had recommended establishing a Rs500 million welfare fund for journalists. During the committee's discussions, members raised concerns about journalists who had died in the line of duty without their families receiving financial assistance from employers.

In September 2018, JournalismPakistan reported that then-information minister Fawad Chaudhry had written to the PBA, urging it to help journalists and media workers recover outstanding salaries. He described workers' welfare as a collective responsibility of the information ministry and media representative organizations.

The issue resurfaced in December 2018, when JournalismPakistan covered a dispute between the government and media owners over advertising payments and unpaid salaries. The government questioned why funds released to media organizations were not reaching employees, while industry associations challenged the government's account of outstanding dues.

These earlier developments demonstrate that demands for employer accountability and journalists' financial protection have continued across different governments.

Salary arrears remain a pressing issue

The latest proposal comes as journalists across Pakistan continue to protest delayed salaries, layoffs and the closure of television bureaus.

JournalismPakistan reported on November 4, 2026, that journalists observing Black Day on November 3 had raised concerns about unpaid wages, forced layoffs and shrinking employment opportunities. Union representatives in Balochistan said bureau closures had left approximately 150 journalists and media workers without jobs.

A JournalismPakistan explainer published on November 5, 2026, also examined the consequences of prolonged salary delays, drawing on the site's reporting throughout 2026. That coverage documented workers waiting months for wages, union intervention to secure payments and continuing concerns about financial insecurity in newsrooms.

Earlier, on January 10, 2026, JournalismPakistan reported warnings from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists-Workers about journalists facing unemployment, poverty and difficulty obtaining medical treatment.

Together, these reports highlight a longstanding gap between public commitments to journalists' welfare and the financial difficulties experienced by media workers.

From welfare proposals to implementation

Tarar's latest remarks renew the debate over whether broadcasters should establish permanent, industry-supported arrangements for medical emergencies, death compensation and other forms of financial assistance.

Questions remain about how such a fund would be financed, which categories of journalists and media workers would qualify, and what responsibilities broadcasters and regulatory authorities would assume.

The PBA's response and any subsequent action by PEMRA will be important in determining whether the proposal develops into a functioning welfare arrangement.

For journalists facing unpaid salaries, insecure employment and limited financial protection, the central issue remains whether another call for welfare reform will produce lasting measures rather than further assurances.

ATTRIBUTION: JournalismPakistan staff analysis, drawing on the site's reporting on journalists' welfare, unpaid salaries and media employers' responsibilities since 2017. The latest developments are based on reports by the Associated Press of Pakistan and Radio Pakistan (November 5, 2026) and The Current (November 6, 2026). Historical context is drawn from JournalismPakistan's reporting published in 2017, 2018, and 2026.