Nawaz, Maryam coverage on state TV: Senate body for recovering expenses from PML-N

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Senator Faisal Javed Monday asked the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to recover coverage expanses of ex-prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his daughter Maryam Nawaz on the state-run PTV from former federal minister Marriyum Aurangzeb and the PML-N.

He gave this direction during the committee meeting here. The meeting was attended by Senator Anwarul Haq Kakar, caretaker Minister for Information Ali Zafar, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Sardar Ali Nawaz Sukhera, Director General Radio Pakistan Shafqat Jaleel and other senior officers from the ministry.

The meeting commenced with reviewing the implementation status of various decisions taken in the previous meeting. the secretary information briefed the committee on the status of funds paid to pensioners. He pointed out that Rs377 million had already been paid to 90 pensioners; however payment of 273 pensioners that required Rs1.352 billion was pending due to lack of funds. He added that medical reimbursements as well as salaries to anchors had been paid out. He noted that lack of funds was adversely affecting the programming, since generating new content was difficult due to budget constraints.

Faisal Javed stated that billions of rupees were spent on the projection of the former PM and his daughter after the Panama case, as was reflected in the coverage report. He stressed the need of recovering all those expenses from the former information minister and the PML-N, so that this amount could be spent on the promotion of the institution. He lamented that not only coverage was given to Nawaz and his daughter, but also related advertisements were run on the state-run TV. He said the recovery from the ex-minister and PML-N would help improve financial situation of the institution.

Senator Anwarul Haq was of the view that more than financial constraints, intellectual bankruptcy was the main cause of the organisation not moving ahead. He asserted that in the past 20 years, the state-run TV had seen a downward trend. He said it was because PTV has always been the mouthpiece of the government. He stated that there was a time when the state-run TV 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 noted. He stressed that a huge disconnect with the outside world was the main issue. While seconding the views of Senator Kakar, Faisal 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 added that since this is national television, it must generate a debate on issues of public importance such water and power, etc. He stressed the need for evaluating the work of different governments through this platform. He stressed the need for neutrality and said that being a national platform the PTV should grant equal representation to all political parties of Pakistan.

While discussing issues related Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC), Senator Kakar was of the view that radio was a huge medium in the West and PBC should capture the market by targeting Pakistani Diaspora abroad. DG Radio while briefing the committee stated that the organisation lacked funds severely.