Ijaz Kakakhel Islamabad
A legislative body of upper house of parliament on Wednesday stressed for distribution of government advertisements impartially without any discrimination. These views were expressed during Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting, which held today at parliament house while Senator Fawzia Arshad was on chair.
The Committee was presented with detailed insights into the federal government’s advertising expenditures, covering electronic, print, digital, and outdoor spending from March 1, 2022, to August 31, 2023. The Ministry disclosed that a total of Rs. 9.6 billion was spent during this period. The Chairperson, Senator Fawzia Arshad, requested a thorough breakdown of the ads allocated to different channels and mediums, including ad rates and the distribution mechanism. Caretaker federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Murtaza Solangi, echoed this sentiment, pledging to ensure fair distribution during his tenure.
The Committee meeting was call on to address a range of vital issues concerning the nation’s media landscape. During the meeting, Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi presented the report of the Senate Sub-committee, specially constituted to investigate the utilization of Land and Assets of Radio Pakistan and its privatization. The report, adopted by the Standing Committee, encompasses comprehensive recommendations and government responses on the matter.
During the meeting, DG PBC (Pakistan Broadcaster Association) provided a compliance report, shedding light on the matter of pension and commutation for retired PBC employees. The Committee was informed that pensions for the months of April, May, June, and July have been disbursed, but a substantial sum of Rs 1.25 billion for commutation remains pending.
