Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD, : Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage, and Culture Attaullah Tarar on Tuesday said that the issues of “sifarishi culture” (favoritism) and incompetence that had long affected Pakistan Television (PTV) have now been eliminated.
The Committee met under the chairmanship of Pullain Baloch, MNA.
Addressing the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, Tarar highlighted the recent steps initiated in PTV for making it more vibrant and self-sustaining.
“We’ve worked hard to bring balance to PTV in this challenging national context,” Tarar said. He further said that, “ if an anchor gets a good salary sitting inside the private sector and the rating of his channel is good, then PTV is not a no-go area. PTV is not a taboo that private anchors can’t sit here.”
He further stressed that PTV was now open to professional anchors from the private sector, dismissing the notion that it was a “no-go” area for successful broadcasters.
The minister also took aim at past practices, revealing how the PTV was once tarnished by unqualified individuals who were promoted to anchor and analyst roles despite lacking basic communication skills. “Some people who didn’t even know how to speak Urdu were made anchors,” he said, vowing to continue his efforts to transform the national broadcaster.
Focusing on PTV Sports, Tarar highlighted the network’s recent addition of prominent sports presenter Zainab Abbas, previously with Ten Sports, as a step in the right direction. “Zainab Abbas is recognized globally, and her inclusion in PTV Sports is a testament to the positive changes taking place,” he noted.
The NA body directed Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation to revise renting rates of all its tenants bringing them to the market rates. The committee was of the view that the financial health of the Corporation warranted immediate measures enabling the state broadcaster to continue its operation and payment of salaries to its employees.
The panel directed the PTV management to share information required by it as the panel was of the view that the standing committees were extension of the Parliament and had mandate to exercise check on executive branch of the government and the privilege to seek and receive information from any department/organization of the government.
The committee reviewed and expressed satisfaction on the strategy chalked out to counter anti-state narrative in Balochistan and frontier regions of the country. The committee stressed for further enhancing outreach of state radio and television in Balochistan and frontier regions apart from highlighting governments achievement in development sector and through youth and public engagement.
