Islamabad: The Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting expressed serious concern over the continued non-payment and delay in payment of salaries to media workers and emphasized that employees associated with the media industry should not be made to suffer in the pretext of outstanding liabilities by the Government institutions.

The committee in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Pullain Baloch, MNA, observed that timely payment of salaries is a fundamental responsibility of media organisations and stressed the need for all concerned authorities to take effective measures to protect the legitimate financial rights of media workers.

Reiterating its earlier position, the committee was unanimous in views that outstanding salaries of media employees must be cleared without further delay. The committee sought comprehensive details regarding the salaries and other financial dues pending against media organisations. It also directed the Press Information Department to provide details of payments made to print and electronic media outlets, including the amounts paid, payments outstanding, and the status of pending claims.

The committee also expressed concern over the prolonged non-completion of a Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) Shortwave Transmitters at Landhi, Karachi which was approved under the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) during the financial year 2006-07. Taking serious note of the considerable delay in completion of the project, the committee sought a detailed report on its present status, expenditure incurred so far, remaining financial requirements, reasons for the delay, and the timeline for its completion. The committee stressed that development projects funded through public money should be completed within the stipulated timeframe and that unnecessary delays must be properly explained and addressed. The committee also decided to call Finance and Planning Divisions to explain non release of funds for the project.

The committee also deliberated on the content and programming of morning shows aired on television channels, particularly in the context of maintaining appropriate standards of decency, responsibility and public interest. The committee directed the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) to formulate a comprehensive and clearly defined code of conduct for morning shows. The proposed code should provide appropriate guidelines regarding the nature of content, language, treatment of sensitive issues, participation of guests, and overall editorial standards, while ensuring that television programming remains consistent with applicable laws and regulatory requirements.

The Committee directed PEMRA to furnish comprehensive details of pending liabilities of television channels, and the steps being taken by the regulator for their recovery. The committee also directed PBC to initiate programs and new bulletin in all regional languages on Radio Pakistan.