ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, on Wednesday emphasized the need to promote quality entertainment to counter rising intolerance in society.
Speaking at a meeting of the Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, chaired by Senator Syed Ali Zafar, the minister underscored the government’s long-standing relationship with journalists, stressing the importance of addressing past injustices against media professionals.
The committee session discussed various agenda items, including the Motion Picture (Amendment) Bill 2024, concerns of journalists, cases under the PECA Act, and issues related to salaries and pensions of employees of PTV and Radio Pakistan.
Addressing the issue of film certification, Minister Tarar said that the 18th Constitutional Amendment had created complications regarding film import and certification.
He explained that if each film required cabinet approval for a new censor board, the process would face serious delays.
To address this, the proposed bill would empower the relevant federal minister to approve the Film Certification Board, enabling faster decision-making.
He further emphasized that coordination between the federal and provincial governments is crucial to streamline film certification.
The minister pointed out that Pakistani films have seen significant success abroad, including in Canada, and the government is committed to supporting such content without unnecessary hurdles.
Discussing PTV reforms, Minister Tarar informed the committee that improvements have been made to PTV’s screen quality.
PTV Sports has secured two-year broadcasting rights for the Asia Cup and efforts are underway to further enhance the channel.
He revealed that the government is negotiating a government-to-government (G2G) agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
He added that PTV Home is being considered for outsourcing, while PTV World is undergoing a complete revamp to meet modern broadcasting standards.
He acknowledged the financial challenges faced by PTV following the withdrawal of subsidies and shared that payments to the ICC had been delayed, although rights were eventually secured despite the hurdles.
He noted that PTV Sports’ ratings are twice as high as those of private sports channels.
On employees’ welfare, the minister said merit-based reforms are being introduced in PTV, and efforts are being made to ensure timely payment of salaries and pensions.
He compared the situation to private channels, where employees sometimes go unpaid for months.
Committee Chairman Senator Ali Zafar directed that the Finance Ministry officials be summoned in the next meeting to discuss PTV’s financial matters in detail.
Regarding the Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company (SRBC), Minister Tarar said that three months’ salaries had recently been paid to its employees.
He personally appeared in court to seek SRBC’s revival, and a business plan for its restoration has been developed.
The committee also discussed cases registered under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA).
Minister Tarar highlighted his close association with journalists and revealed that he had discussed injustices faced by journalists with PFUJ’s Afzal Butt.
He proposed forming a sub-committee of the Senate Standing Committee to investigate these matters thoroughly.
Chairman Zafar supported this proposal and directed that the concerned RPO be summoned in the next session, along with action against the relevant SHO.
Other attendees included Senators Irfan Siddiqui, Pervaiz Rashid, Jan Muhammad Buledi, Sarmad Ali, Syed Waqar Mehdi, Information Secretary Ambreen Jan, Additional Secretary Ashfaq Khalil, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
