Senate Committee Directs Media Houses To Pay Pending Salaries To Employees

The Senate Committee on Information and Broadcasting has lamented the fact that media houses and journalists’ bodies are delaying the implementation and compliance of the committee’s previous recommendations regarding non-payment of salaries to journalists.

Earlier, the committee had directed the media houses to pay 2 month pending salaries to their employees before 25th February. The committee also directed the journalist bodies including All Pakistan Newspaper Association (APNS) and Pakistan Federation Union of Journalists (PFUJ) to provide lists about channels and reporters to make estimate of pending salaries.

The Committee directed the Ministry of Information to share the draft legislation regarding journalist’s rights with the committee at the earliest.

Senator Faisal Javed Khan chaired the meeting at the Parliament House on Tuesday. It was attended by Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan, Chairman PTV, Chairman PEMRA, and senators including Pervaiz Rasheed, Rukhsana Zuberi, Anwar ul Haq Kakar, Syed Sabir Shah, Abdur Rehman Malik.

The matters of PTV broadcasting fee, dilapidated conditions of regional stations of PTV, and the importance and requirements of generating new content were also discussed.