ISLAMABAD: A sub-committee of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Thursday sought recommendations from the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ), Rawalpindi Islamabad Union of Journalists (RIUJ), All Pakistan Newspaper Society (APNS) and Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) with respect to removal of employees from print and electronic media and non-payment of salaries to employees.

The committee which was held under the chairmanship of MNA Naz Baloch, sought recommendations within a week.

The committee will take a legal course of action in the light of the suggestions.

The committee expressed its displeasure over the absence of the MD PTV.

The PBA refused to give details of the sacked employees to the committee.

Saad Waseem, being the member of the committee, said, among other things, that Rs 1 billion was paid to the media houses but they did not pay salaries of employees.

The federal secretary information said most of the problems related to the print media.

PFUJ representative Nasir Malik said those who do not implement the wage award should not be given advertisements.

Some newspapers have closed down their bureau offices but they are still getting advertisements. Their advertisements should be stopped, he added.

He said that a wage board should also be constituted for electronic media.

Tariq Ali, General Secretary, RIUJ, said that there are many media houses that are not paying salaries to their employees for the several months.

Naz Baloch said that “media workers too fight on the frontline and they should be vaccinated against Covid-19 like doctors.”

The PBA secretary general Shakeel Masood Hussain said the government has not paid Rs6 billion, adding that the media in Pakistan earns only from advertisements.

He said Pak Satellite rent is quite high and this has an impact on workers too.

The information secretary said electronic media in Sindh is proving to be good insofar as payments are concerned.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021