Bol TV ex-employees salary issue: CJP directs Shoaib Sheikh to deposit Rs100m within 10 days

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar Monday warned the Bol TV CEO Shoaib Sheikh that his bail might be cancelled if he failed to deposit Rs100 million with the apex court within 10 days for distribution among the channel’s ex-employees.

The CJP gave the ruling while heading a three-member bench hearing the matter of non-payment of salaries to the ex-employees of the channel. Justice Umer Ata Bandyal and Justice Ijazul Ahsen were the other bench members. The chief justice directed the channel to deposit Rs100 million with the court for disbursement among the ex-employees of the channel or face action.

The chief justice was told that the channel owed a total of Rs300 million to the ex-employees. The chief justice observed that the channel management had failed to resolve the salary dispute with its ex-employees and had not yet complied with the court’s order.

The counsel, however, submitted that some property be accepted as surety by the court because it would be difficult for the company to arrange and submit such a large amount in a short time.

The chief justice, however, told the counsel that it’s not difficult for the channel to deposit the amount. “You can arrange the money by selling two degrees,” the chief justice asked the counsel and adjourned further hearing.

The court also directed the management to sit with the former employees and resolve the matter within four weeks. Javed Iqbal, former anchorperson along with many former employees of the channel, appeared before the court and complained that the channel management was not cooperating with them to peacefully resolve the issue. Meanwhile, referring to non-payment of advertisement dues to television channels, the government informed the court that Rs401m would be released within a week.