News, entertainment violating ethics must be stopped: minister

Tells NA advisories sent to all channels by Pemra to check
 this practice; movers of calling attention notice suggest dramas should unite families instead of dividing them

ISLAMABAD: Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Monday said any news or entertainment content violating societal norms and ethics should be stopped and the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority had sent advisories to all the channels to check this practice.

Responding to a calling attention notice in the National Assembly, she told said the media played an important role in shaping a good society. The calling attention notice was moved by Tahira Aurangzeb and three other PML-N female members including Seema Mohiuddin Jameeli, Tahira Bukhari and Asiya Naz Tanoli regarding the nature of current 3-TV dramas promoting the ratio of divorce in the country.

The members were of the view that dramas promoting culture, values and having decent content should be allowed on the television. They said dramas should unite families instead of creating rifts among them.

She said the government was also organising training courses for the news and entertainment industry to take the society to a positive direction. She said the government was also going to organise a National Artists Convention in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the House was informed that the government had taken various steps to improve performance of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA). Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad told the House during the question hour that the PIA had earned a gross operating profit of Rs 2.83 billion in the first quarter of the previous years. He said the PIA ha acquired 18 fuel efficient aircraft during the last two years.

He said the national flag carrier had launched Premier Service on London route and response of this upgraded service was very encouraging.  He said the PIA had obtained A-330-300 aircraft from Sri Lankan airlines in order to compete with other rival airlines on this route.

He said due to induction of more aircraft in the fleet, the punctuality of flights had increased to above 90 percent. The minister said cabin crew training centers had been established at Lahore, Nawabshah, Swat, Rawalpindi, Peshawar and Quetta besides Karachi. He said cabin crew had also been trained from Qatar Airways.

To a question, Parliamentary Secretary Syed Ashiq Hussain Shah told the House that Pakistan Railways operated trains and cargo express under Public Private Partnership during the last five years.

He said seven trains were being run under public-private partnership mode. He said the commercial management of some trains had been taken over by the Pakistan Railways after default by the contractor.