ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage was informed on Tuesday that 15 employees of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV) appointed during past two years had been sacked.
The committee meeting chaired by Pir Aslam Bodla was informed by Secretary IB&NH and Managing Director PTV Syed Imran Gardezi that the sacked employees were getting hefty salaries ranging from Rs 600,000 to Rs 700,000 per month. He said investigations were being held into illegal appointments and illegal purchase of television plays from the market.
He said that a three-member committee had been constituted to probe various allegations against the former MD PTV Abdul Mallick. The committee was informed that PTV had 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.
Imran Zafar Leghari, MNA questioned was it not violation of Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority’s (PEMRA) rules and regulations? Talal Chaudhry said that it was media trial and should be avoided and PEMRA should examine how this video was leaked.
He said that Speaker National Assembly had written a letter to PEMRA for a separate channel for Parliament’s coverage. He said that consultations with the Speaker for a separate channel should be held.
The Secretary IB&NH said that the PTV would launch a new channel for Parliamentary coverage, if required funds were provided, and being the state channel it did not need any new licence.
The committee expressed displeasure over the telecast of a mobile phone advertisement in which a girl goes to cricket team camp without permission of the parents. Perveen Masood Bhatti and Naeema Kishwer remarked what moral values were being taught to the new generation through such advertisements.
