Axact’s channels running on stay order

ISLAMABAD: Ministry of Information Additional Secretary Shafqat Jalil has said that the Axact company's channels are running on stay order and his ministry is helpless in this regard.

He expressed these views during meeting of National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Wednesday which was headed by its Chairman Aslam Bodla. Member Committee Naeema Kishwar said that she had read reports in media that Axact channel was running through foreign funding. She said why such channel was not closed down.

At this, Ministry of Information Additional Secretary Shafqat Jalil said that the government had cancelled licence of this channel but the channel got stay order and this channel was running on this stay order and therefore he was helpless in this regard. Aslam Bodla strongly rejected news broadcast on a private channel that 10 MNAs of PML-N were joining PTI saying that it was completely baseless. He said that this channel should show responsibility in telecasting such kind of news.

Head of PNCA Jamal Shah told the committee that total 189 paintings were stolen from 1973 to 2015. He said that a probe committee was formed in 2015 on the issue of stealing of these several precious paintings but its report did not appear. He said then an inquiry committee was formed and on its report the case was handed over to FIA, but neither anyone was held responsible nor any progress was made in this case despite passage of one year. He said that he would submit report to the committee as soon as he received report from FIA. Jamal Shah said ‘dancing girl of Mohenjodaro and rare paintings of Amrita Sher Gul of Lahore were also stolen and these were sent to India. Chairman of the committee formed a body led by Jamal Shah to submit its report in two months by determining responsibility in this stealing.