Senate committee directs PTV management to resolve workers' wages issue

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee for Human Rights has directed the management of Pakistan Television to resolve the issue of pensions and wages of the state television’s employees, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

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

The senate body also recommended the government and the Ministry of Information to decide the matter of appointment of the new managing director soon.

People’s Party Senator Farhatullah Babar said in the meeting that the matters of PTV being run by the board raising questions. The senator asked why the court’s decision about MD PTV was not implemented. He urged the board to clarify the matter.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry in the senate committee’s hearing said that the Federal Cabinet had demanded a business plan from the PTV board by December 20. The board decided the matter of salaries in hurry but it failed to submit the business plan.

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.

The Prime Minister’s Office has written a letter that the PTV board will appoint the MD, the minister said adding that the matter is being subjected to lobbying.

Fawad Chaudhry said that all members of the PTV board not invited in a meeting, selected people sit and take decisions on PTV matters, he added.