Info ministry avoiding to act on the probe report

ISLAMABAD: Despite the clear findings of probe committee, the Information Ministry is still reluctant to take action against the culprits involved in airing the mutilated maps of Pakistan showing the areas of Azad Jammu and Kashmir as part of India, The News learnt here on Sunday.

State-run TV Home and state-run TV News in there programme titling, Nukta-i-Imtiaz have aired the mutilated maps of Pakistan on seven different times since October 28, 2019, June 5, 2020 and June 6, 2020.

Following which Ministry of Information and Broadcasting formed an inquiry committee comprising the then Principal Information Officer (PIO) Shahera Shahid, Managing Director state-run Amir Manzoor, Deputy Director General Press Information Department (PID), Asim Khichi and Imran Ayub of state-run TV as a co-opted member of the committee.

The committee during its proceedings recorded the statements of all the stakeholders and recommended termination of contracts of key state-run TV officials linked to the matter. The officials against whom the inquiry was finalised include Director Content & Marketing, Chief of News & Current Affairs, Controller Current Affairs, Producer Program Nukta-i-Imtiaz and Deputy Controller Current Affairs.

The sources within the ministry claim that its officials are now sitting on the findings of the committee and are not ready to implement the same. Coincidently the matter was also raised in the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting where senators also raised the matter, however, the implementation of the recommendations made by the committee are yet to be implemented.