ISLAMABAD, Dec 30 (APP): National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting Monday informed that 680 cases were pending in courts related to complaints filed with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) against different individuals in media and television channels.
The meeting which was chaired by MNA Maiza Hameed in absence of chairman Mian Javed Latif further informed that cases were stuck up as the courts had granted stays to the petitioners.
At the outset the, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Zahida Parveen categorically stated that the ministry and the PEMRA had not imposed any restriction on freedom of media.
The committee was informed that PEMRA had taken action against certain television channels for airing news content in violation of terms of their licenses issued only for purposes of showing entertainment programmes.
The committee was told that an amount of Rs 87 million given by the Sindh government for purchase of transmitter for Khairpur radio station in 2010 was instead used to pay salaries and pensions of Radio Pakistan employees in 2016 by the then Director General because of the financial crunch.
MNA Nafeesa Shah had raised the issue of transmitter for Radio Khairpur and expressed her displeasure over the diversion of funds.
The committee chair ordered an inquiry into the matter to fix the responsibility.
Director General Radio Pakistan Samina Waqar said funds given by the Sindh government for installing the transmitter in Khairpur could not be used as the federal finance ministry refused to treat it as a loan by the Sindh government. “We are going for digitalization of Radio Pakistan and a transmitter will be installed in Khairpur for the radio broadcasts,” she added.
Managing Director Pakistan Television Aamer Manzoor said Pakistan and Turkey had an agreement for exchange of dramas, adding PTV was in the process of dubbing a very popular Turkish drama for the local audience. He at the outset gave an in camera briefing to the members of the committee about the pending demands of PTV employees.
VNS, Islamabad
