Pemra bill deferred

The Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage on Thursday deferred 'The Pemra (Amendment) Bill, 2017' till its next meeting. The committee met in the Parliament House under the chairmanship of Pir Muhammad Aslam Bodla. The chairman deferred the bill on the ground that the mover of the bill was not present in the meeting. The chairman of the committee asked the members to give, meanwhile, valuable input.
Chairman Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) Absar Alam informed the committee that media houses may have some reservations on the clauses of the proposed bill calling for appointment of retired judges and bureaucrats. The Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) conveyed to the authority that professors, lawyers and other respectable members of the civil society should also be made part of the Councils of Complaints (CoC).
To a question about non-payment of salaries to PTV researchers for the past five months, Secretary Information Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera said he has the charge of acting managing director PTV for the last three months and his priority is welfare of the employees, especially low-grade staff. He informed the committee that 74 percent budget of the PTV was spent on the salaries and other perks of its human resource which has made very difficult for it to make arrangements for production and purchase of new dramas and programmes.
He further said that this year the PTV earned Rs 1.1 billion profit due to ICC Champions Trophy and Ramazan transmissions. The committee considering 'The Protection of Journalists Bill, 2014' deferred the bill along with direction to the Information and Broadcasting Division to complete all constitutional and legal requirements in consultation with Ministry of Law and Justice, media organisations and all other stakeholders without further delay as the legislation had already been delayed.
The committee was of the view that media persons and their families are vulnerable; therefore, measures from the state are imperative for their safety and welfare. The committee further directed that the final draft bill regarding the implementation of the law, up to the extent of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), after the consultation with Ministry of Law and Justice be presented in its next meeting positively. The committee was briefed about the performance and financial state of Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company Limited (SRBC).