Print and electronic media: Ministry directed to devise proper advertisement policy

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has been directed to devise proper advertisement policy for print and electronic media. The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting issued these directions here on Monday.

After hearing the stakeholders and officials of concerned departments, Chairman of the committee Senator Faisal Javed made it clear that the advertisements should be linked with the release of salaries to the employees. "We need to streamline the whole system.

The Information Ministry will devise an updated advertisement policy and present a briefing to the committee to grant media the status of industry." Senator Faisal Javed said.

The committee noted that Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) is a weak authority to ensure standard work conditions in electronic media and agreed to work for the up-gradation of its rules and regulations.

The office-bearers of Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) criticized the incumbent government by alleging that they suspected some conspiracy like situation against media in the country, as curtailment of advertisements is a tool to break the free voice.

On the other hand the principal information officer (PIO) stated that the issue of non-payment of wages is only a pretext by media houses, adding the matter is serious and cannot be explained in simple words.

He accused the media houses of not following the labor laws of Pakistan, whereas the officials of Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) said that out of 134 registered media companies, only 32 percent are filing their annual documentations and not submitting their audited reports which is a violation of law.

Speaking over draft advertisement policy, Mehtab Abbassi representing the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) said it is unfair in several respects and even includes a clause that the publication will always consider 'national interest'. His statement triggered another debate as Senator Rubina Khalid questioned the explanation of term 'national interest.'

Senator Perviaz Rasheed said, "Was it in national interest when you media people aired that sit-in at D-Chowk round the clock?" This led to brief exchange of words between him and chairman of the committee.

While acknowledging the demand of Chairman PBA Shakeel Masood, Senator Faisal Javed directed the Information Ministry to streamline its mechanism to clear the dues.

To the amazement of the committee, the chairman PBA said law demands that advertisement bills have to be cleared within 60 days, but the average time is one year and some payments have been pending for 5 to 7 years.

The case of media workers was presented by Parliamentary Reporters Association and the Rawalpindi/Islamabad Union of Journalists. Senator Sajjad Hussain Turi and Senator Rukhsana Zubairi demanded that PBA should submit the list of employees who did not get salaries, while the PBA demanded the reconciled pending bills may be released at the earliest, which was assured by Secretary Information Akbar Durrani.