Media owners receive government payments but fail ...

Summary

• The committee, chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, directed the Ministry of Information to present a clear action plan within 15 days to ensure payment of outstanding salaries and protect media workers from unfair treatment.
• The committee was also informed that details of outstanding salaries had been requested from the representative organisation of media workers on the committee’s previous directions, but the required information had not yet been received.
• Expressing dissatisfaction over the situation, the committee demanded that the ministry coordinate with media organisations and workers’ representatives, collect complete details of unpaid salaries and submit a practical plan within 15 days.

AI Generated Summary

Islamabad: Media owners are receiving government payments but journalists and other media workers are still facing unpaid salaries, sudden layoffs and dismissal without prior notice, raising serious questions about the use of public funds and the treatment of employees in the country’s media industry.

The Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has expressed grave concern over the growing salary crisis in media houses and questioned why media organisations are failing to pay their employees despite the government’s regular release of payments against their outstanding dues.

The committee, chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, directed the Ministry of Information to present a clear action plan within 15 days to ensure payment of outstanding salaries and protect media workers from unfair treatment.

During the meeting at Parliament House, the Secretary of the Ministry of Information told the committee that the government was regularly releasing payments against dues payable to media outlets. However, he said it was difficult to understand why media houses were not fulfilling their responsibilities towards their employees.