The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Tuesday raised serious concerns regarding the delayed payment of salaries to media workers and a rise in layoffs by media organizations. The committee, led by MNA Pullain Baloch at Parliament House, ordered the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to submit a comprehensive plan to address these issues within 15 days.
The committee 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 requested that the ministry create a clear strategy to protect the rights of these workers and ensure that outstanding salaries are paid.
The secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting told the committee that while the government is regularly releasing payments for outstanding dues to media organizations, these organizations are failing to fulfill their obligations to their own employees. The secretary noted that the ministry had requested details of unpaid salaries from the representative organization of media workers as previously directed, but that information has not been received yet.
The committee directed the ministry to contact media organizations and representative bodies of journalists to gather details on pending salaries. A concrete plan of action must be presented within the 15-day deadline.
During the meeting, the committee discussed a reported assault on the chairman of the Press Council of Pakistan but decided to defer the matter. This decision was made because the case is currently before the court and the ministry has already formed an inquiry committee, which must submit a report within 60 days. The committee noted that further discussion at this time could prejudice the judicial and inquiry proceedings.
The committee was also briefed on the Central Board of Film Censors. Officials stated that amendments to the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979, will change the board’s composition and name to improve its performance. However, the committee expressed concern that the lack of a unified central mechanism for film certification could lead to inconsistent standards across provinces. The committee stressed the need for a harmonized framework between federal and provincial authorities, noting that this should be done in consultation with stakeholders while respecting constitutional jurisdictions.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Kiran Imran Dar, Kiran Haider, Shaheen, Salahuddin Junejo, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi, and Rana Ansar, along with the secretary of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, the chairperson of PEMRA, and other senior officials.
