A key parliamentary body has raised a serious alarm over Pakistan Television's (PTV) financial sustainability, criticizing its management's failure to present a viable business strategy following the discontinuation of its primary revenue source.
Committee Forms Sub-Group to Tackle PTV Crisis
The Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, meeting at the PTV Headquarters in Islamabad on Friday, voiced its deep concern. The committee, chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, stated that PTV cannot survive solely on government grants while covering its operational and employee expenses. This comes after the halt of PTV licence fee collection through electricity bills.
To address the pressing issue, the panel established a 4-member Sub-Committee. This sub-group will be led by member Nadeem Abbas and is tasked with a critical mandate: devising a comprehensive business plan for PTV, ensuring sustained salary payments, and pinpointing the factors and individuals responsible for the current financial woes.
The sub-committee's responsibilities extend to evaluating the performance of PTV Sports, its revenue portfolio, and conducting a performance appraisal of the Head of PTV Sports, who was hired on a substantial salary package.
Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company Faces Liquidation
The committee also turned its attention to the dire state of the Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company (SRBC), which is currently under liquidation on the orders of the Islamabad High Court. The court-appointed Liquidator delivered a stark warning: if the government fails to present a revival plan for SRBC within two months—a deadline assured by the Information Minister in a recent hearing—the company will have to be wound up completely.
The Liquidator informed the members that due to the company's financial position, only fifty employees have been retained, with the rest laid off. The Director General of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting updated the committee that a proposal for SRBC's revival and to address its pending liabilities has been submitted to a committee formed by the Prime Minister's Advisor on Political Affairs. The parliamentary committee urged the ministry to expedite the matter to prevent further job losses.
Progress on Karachi PSDP Project and Meeting Attendees
On a more positive note, the committee expressed satisfaction with a compliance report submitted by the Director General of PBC regarding a halted Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) project in Karachi. The committee directed for a bi-monthly progress report on the project.
The DG PBC informed the members that a technical committee, formed on the Standing Committee's recommendation, assessed equipment lying unused in containers for over a decade. The committee found the technology still relevant and the equipment in good condition, ready for installation. Periodic updates on this progress were assured.
The meeting was attended by several MNAs including Ms Kiran Imran Dar, Ms Asia Naz Tanoli, Ms Romina Khurshid Alam, Ms Kiran Haider, Ms Shaheen, Ms Sehar Kamran, Syed Amin Ul Haque, Ms Rana Ansar, and Molana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri, alongside senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
