Islamabad (Staff Reporter)
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar briefed the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on ongoing reform initiatives at Pakistan Television (PTV), highlighting past challenges such as nepotism, misuse of authority, and corruption that have affected the national broadcaster. He emphasized that successive government policies have also contributed to the institution’s current difficulties.
Speaking at the meeting chaired by MNA Plean Baloch on Monday, Minister Tarar provided details on the restructuring of PTV World (English) and the Digital Media Department. He noted that new and talented faces are being introduced to increase viewership and revenue. Structural reforms are being implemented to make PTV self-reliant and operationally effective, and the committee was invited to provide recommendations.
The Minister also discussed the high number of employees at PTV and suggested that introducing a “Golden Handshake” scheme, allowing employees to opt for voluntary separation, could significantly improve the institution’s efficiency. The committee instructed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to review all existing laws and acts under its jurisdiction to align them with federal cabinet decisions.
In light of the Supreme Court’s Mustafa Impex case, the federal cabinet directed amendments to replace the term “Federal Government” with “relevant competent authorities” in various laws. The Ministry presented proposed amendments to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Ordinance 2002, the Newspaper Employees (Conditions of Service) Act 1973, and the Associated Press of Pakistan Ordinance 2002, which were unanimously approved by the committee.
The committee also stressed the timely appointment of PTV leadership, recommending that the process begin at least 30 days prior to retirement or the completion of a term to avoid disruption in performance. Directions were issued to take all necessary steps to appoint a permanent PTV head and make the institution self-reliant and functional.
The meeting was attended by Federal Minister Attaullah Tarar, MNAs Nadeem Abbas, Kiran Imran Dar, Romina Khurshid Alam, Kiran Haider, Ms. Shaheen, Mahtab Akbar Rashdi, Sahar Kamran, Rana Ansar (via Zoom), Secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, and other officials.