Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: A legislative body of the Upper House of Parliament on Monday directed that the Pakistan Television (PTV) had spent billions of rupees over the positive projection of former prime minister Nawaz Shairf and his daughter Maryam Nawaz Sharif after the Panama case.

Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History & Literary Heritage Chairman Senator Faisal Javed stressed the need for recovering of these expenses, so that this amount could be spent on the promotion of the institution.

The meeting was held at Parliament House to discuss issues of television and broadcast. Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar, Caretaker Minister for Information and Broadcast Ali Zafar, Information & Broadcast Secretary Sardar Ali Nawaz Sukhera, Radio Pakistan Director General Shafqat Jalil and other senior officers from the Ministry of Information & Broadcast attended the meeting.

The meeting commenced with the implementation status of various decisions taken in the previous meeting.

Sardar Ali Nawaz Sukhera briefed the committee about the status of funds paid to pensioners.

He revealed that Rs 377 million had already been paid to 90 pensioners, however payment of 273 pensioners that required Rs 1.352 billion was pending due to lack of funds. He further revealed that medical reimbursements as well as salaries to anchors have been paid.

The Information & Broadcast secretary further revealed that lack of funds is adversely affecting programming, since generating new content was difficult due to budget constraints.

Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar was of the opinion that more than financial constraints, intellectual bankruptcy was the main cause of the organisation not moving ahead. He asserted that in the past, for 20 years, PTV had seen a downward trend.

This was because PTV has always been the mouth piece of the government.

He further stated that there was a time when PTV would compete with films that were aired across the border. This he lamented was not the case anymore.

PTV is the only organisation that is being sustained through public subsidy, however, it is a shame that not even a minimum of two documentaries on the war on terror have been aired. He stressed that a huge disconnect with the outside world was the main issue.

While seconding the views of Senator Kakar, Senator Javed recommended that in order to increase viewership, it was imperative that a survey be conducted to ascertain what the public wished to watch.

He further added that since this was national television, PTV must generate a debate on issues of public importance such as water and power, etc. He stressed the need of evaluating the work of different governments through this platform.

He further stressed the need for neutrality and said that being a national platform, PTV should grant equal representation to all political parties of Pakistan.

Caretaker Minister for Broadcast & Information assured the committee that in order to improve the performance of the organisation the recommendation of the committee will be implemented completely in letter and spirit.

While discussing issues related to the Pakistan Broadcast Corporation, Senator Kakar was of the opinion that radio was a huge medium in the west and Pakistan Broadcast Corporation should capture the market by targeting Pakistani diaspora abroad.

The Radio DG while briefing the committee stated that the organisation lacked funds severely.

Shortage of latest equipment was another reason for a backward trend as it affected transmission adversely, especially in areas such as Balochistan where transmission lines were at least half a century old. He added that a new radio station was being established in Fort Munro that would improve transmission in Balochistan.

Senator Javed directed that Radio Pakistan take measures to commence FM Radio Service to all parts of the country. He further urged Radio Pakistan to work alongside PTV, so that programmes could be promoted on both forums.

Published in Daily Times, July 3^rd 2018.