Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: The government is working on a plan to merge the media regulatory setup of the country and bring one body by the name of ‘Pakistan Media Regulatory Authority’, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage.

The proposed set-up will bring about a one-window operation regarding complaints and other regulatory aspects of the media landscape of Pakistan, the minister told the meeting, chaired by Senator Faisal Javed Khan. The proposed law, which will merge all the existing rules and acts relevant to PEMRA, PCP and PTA, will be presented to the political parties and parliamentary committees to seek input from all the stakeholders, he added.

The committee discussed at length three matters of public importance referred by the Upper House regarding derogatory remarks by an analyst about Pashtuns on a private TV channel; insult of Pashtuns in a government advertisement and character assassination of political leaders.

The committee was told that a thorough inquiry was conducted and suspensions were made as a consequence of irresponsible behaviour in running the derogatory advertisement. The minister told the meeting that a content committee has also been formed which will now look into content of every advertisement before it is aired.

Regarding the matter of derogatory remarks by an analyst in a TV show, PEMRA chairman told the committee that the matter was taken up by the authority and warnings were issued to the channel. He said the matter was now with the Council of Complaints.

The committee was given an update on pending payments of pensions to retired employees of the PTV. It was told that out of a total of 3,108 pensioners, 279 are pending while all the remaining pensioners have been paid, adding that an amount of 1.33 billion rupees is outstanding to these pensioners. The committee held a detailed discussion as to the reasons of the pendency and was told that its primary cause has been disturbed cash inflows resulting from decreased revenue and heavy receivables. New chairman of the PTV board informed the committee that 72% of PTV’s income goes into staff payment and that urgent reforms are needed to make the state enterprise a vibrant and viable institution again.

Senators Rehman Malik, Rubina Khalid, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Khushbakht Shujaat, Pervaiz Rasheed, Barrister Saif, Usman Kakar and Sajjad Turi also attended the meeting.

Published in Daily Times, October 19^th 2018.