FIA to probe PTV managing director in Benami cheque case

ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has decided to hold an inquiry against managing director of Pakistan Television (PTV), Arshad Khan, in a case regarding benami cheques, ARY News reported.

Sources said the acting MD PTV was not appointed through a formal permission of the relevant board. They said the MD himself fixed his monthly salary to Rs 2.2 million.

Sources informed that two Benami cheques of Rs 3.1 million and Rs 1.7 million were traced during the initial investigation.

Read: Senate committee directs PTV management to resolve workers’ wages issue

During the Senate Committee meeting on March 5, PTV MD Arshad Khan, had failed to convince the senate’s standing committee for human rights regarding issue of pensions and wages of the state television’s employees.

The committee had also hinted at sending the matters of the Benami cheque and financial irregularities to the National Accountability Bureau.

The federal minister for information, Fawad Chaudhry, had stated that Arshad Khan had lobbied to become the Managing Director and has asked for his resignation due to his inability to run the affairs of the state broadcaster.

Chairman of the committee, Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, had warned the PTV administration that the matter will be referred to NAB if it failed to resolve it.

The minister said that the PTV failed to win the bidding of Pakistan Super League (PSL). The matter should be investigated that whether it deliberately happened to extend benefit to someone.