By Adnan Rafique
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday expressed serious concern over delays in payment of salaries to media workers and increasing layoffs by media organisations, directing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to submit a comprehensive plan to address the issue within 15 days.
The committee, chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch at Parliament House, observed that withholding salaries and terminating employees without prior notice or fulfilment of contractual obligations were serious issues affecting the livelihoods and welfare of media professionals.
The committee asked the ministry to develop a clear strategy to ensure payment of outstanding salaries and protect the rights of media workers.
The secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting informed the committee that the government was regularly releasing payments against outstanding dues to media organisations, but expressed concern that these organisations were not fulfilling their obligations towards employees.
He said the ministry had sought details of unpaid salaries from the representative organisation of media workers in compliance with the committee’s earlier directions, but the required information had not yet been provided.
The committee directed the ministry to engage with media organisations and representative bodies of journalists and other media workers, obtain details of pending salaries and present a concrete plan of action within the stipulated 15-day period.
The committee also discussed the reported assault on the chairman of the Press Council of Pakistan but deferred consideration of the matter pending the outcome of judicial proceedings and an inquiry ordered by the ministry.
The committee was informed that the matter was currently before the court and that the ministry had taken notice of the allegations and constituted an inquiry committee, which had been directed to submit its report within 60 days.
It was observed that further deliberations at this stage could overlap with ongoing judicial and inquiry proceedings or potentially prejudice the matter.
The committee was also briefed on the functioning and performance of the Central Board of Film Censors.
Officials informed the meeting that recent amendments to the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979, would bring changes to the board’s nomenclature and composition, aimed at improving its functioning.
The committee expressed concern over the absence of a unified central mechanism for film certification, noting that separate certification arrangements in the provinces could result in inconsistencies in standards and regulatory practices.
It stressed the need for greater coordination between federal and provincial authorities to develop a harmonised film certification framework while respecting their respective constitutional jurisdictions.
The committee emphasised that the issue should be examined in consultation with all relevant stakeholders to ensure consistency in film certification across the country.
MNAs Kiran Imran Dar, Kiran Haider, Shaheen, Salahuddin Junejo, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and Rana Ansar attended the meeting, along with the secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, chairperson of PEMRA and other senior officials.
