ISLAMABAD - The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage yesterday sought detail report of alleged corruption and appointments during the tenure of former managing director of Pakistan Television Corporation Muhammad Malick.
During the meeting, Mian Muhammad Farooq pointed out that the former MD misused his authority and appointed several persons illegally and the matter should be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation. However, the chairman PTV Ataul Haq Qasmi proposed that first an inquiry should be held by Director Finance PTV to assess the allegations.
The meeting of the committee, chaired by Pir Aslam Bodla, discussed the working and performance of the PTV. It was revealed during proceeding that the 71 per cent of total budget of state-run TV was being spent on human resources.
Maryam Orangzaib took notice of the PTV expenditure regarding human resources and said PTVC should hire the “Human Resource” firm to control the financial matters of the corporation. She said that PTV should chalk out a new policy for avoiding any crisis in future.
Secretary Information and acting MD Syed Imran Gardezi told the committee that PTV has started work on its new business plan. He said that PTV has 90 per cent outreach across the country and funds required for up-gradation its boosters. He also requested the committee to ask the govt to provide funds to PTV in this regard.
Gardezi informed the committee that total strength of PTV employees is 5,098, including 892 contract employees and 171 contractual anchors, however, the PTV Home rating was 8th, PTV News 11th, and PTV Sports was on the top. Chairman PTV Ataul Haq Qasmi told the committee that policy has been made to utilise the services of PTV producers for production of in house dramas. He said that most of the plays, being produced by private production houses, did not match the social values of the society. He said that efforts were being made to revive the past glory of the PTV. Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that PTV has to run AJK and Bolan channels as national responsibility as profit was not the only criteria to judge any television channel. He said that the impression given by a member that about 80 private channels have emerged due to PTV's poor performance was not right. He said new technology has come and private media has flourished all over the world.
At the end, Chairman of the committee Aslam Bodla said there was an impression that the appointments made by the former MD have damaged the reputation of the institution, so the ministry should submit a report in the next meeting in which appointments made by the former managing director, would be an agenda item.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Perveen Masood Bhatti, Arifa Khalid Pervaiz, Azhar Jadoon, Amer Dogar, Tahir Iqbal Chaudhry, Mian Farooq, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Belam Hasnain, Maryam Aurangzeb, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Talal Chaudhry and senior officials from the Ministry and PTV were also present in the meeting.