Amends on the cards to bring electronic media workers within scope of Wage Board Award.

ISLAMABAD   -   The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has asked the ministry to immediately initiate the process of appointment of regular heads of the media organization under its administrative control. The committee was of the view that important state-owned organizations could not be left on the mercy of ad-hocism which it believed adversely affected their working and performance. The Committee met at the Parliament House here on Thursday under the chairmanship of Pullain Baloch, MNA for briefing on the working and performance of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and its organizations.

Briefing the committee, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar said the ministry had amicably carried out the tasks mandated under the Rules of Business 1973 and the performance of all the departments had been satisfactory within the given circumstances. However, he said re-organization of PTV was being carried out through various administrative measures. He said editorial policy had also been revisited to ensure presence of all political forces in the country on state television. He further informed that a Center for Digital Communication (CDC) was being established which would amplify the activities of the public sector on social media. The minister further apprised that the ministry had effectively pursued the payment of outstanding advertisement dues of media outlets which had ultimately facilitated the payment of salaries to media workers. Responding to a query, he said that amendments were being proposed in the Newspapers Employees (Conditions of Service) Act, 1973 to bring the electronic media workers within the scope of Wage Board Award.

He further said that privatization of Shalimar Recording Company was seriously being considered since it had continuously been in loss. Apprising the Committee about the CDC, the Secretary Information said that keeping in view the pervasive presence of social media, a Center for Digital Communication was being established for aptly projecting government policies and initiatives, countering fake news and propaganda against the integrity and sovereignty of the country on digital fora. The Committee was apprised that Pakistan Television (PTV), Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) and Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company (SRBC) were presently being headed by Officers of the Ministry as an ad-hoc arrangement. The Members of the Committee were critical about the performance of the PTV. They were of the view that PTV has been subject to severe mismanagement, unjustified promotions and inconsistent fiscal decisions. They stressed for rejuvenation of production facilities at PTV which had been acclaimed worldwide in the past. The members also expressed their apprehension about the performance of Pakistan Press Officers aboard and called for their performance appraisal.

The Committee decided to have an exclusive briefing on the performance of PTV bringing up its financial business plan. The Committee also decided to have an exclusive briefing on the advertisement policy of the government and the basis for award of public sector advertisements on electronic and print media. The meeting was attended by Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar; MNAs Muhammad Hanif Abbasi, Nadeem Abbas, Ms. Kiran Imran Dar, Ms. Asia Naz Tanoli, Ms. Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, Ms. Sehar Kamran, Syed Amin Ul Haque, Muhammad Miqdad Ali Khan, Umar Farooq, Waqas Akram, Rana Muhammad Faraz Noon, Muhammad Moazzam Ali Khan and senior officials of the ministry.