Key points

  • The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting expressed serious concern over unpaid media salaries and rising layoffs.
  • According to Business Recorder, the Ministry of Information was directed to submit a comprehensive action plan within 15 days.
  • The Information Secretary informed the committee that the government regularly clears payments owed to media outlets.

At a time when state funds are consistently released to media outlets, workers continue to face financial distress and abrupt job terminations. According to Business Recorder, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting took notice of these ongoing grievances during a session at Parliament House.

Key Details

Chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, the committee session focused on the non-payment of salaries and the termination of employees without prior notice or contractual compliance, Business Recorder reported. The panel observed that such practices directly threaten the livelihoods and financial security of media professionals.

During the proceedings, the Secretary Information stated that the government regularly clears financial dues owed to media organisations, questioning why these institutions continue to default on employee payments. The secretary added that the ministry had requested details of outstanding salaries from representative bodies in line with earlier directives, but the necessary information remains unreceived.

Context and Impact

The committee instructed the information ministry to actively engage with media houses, journalists' representative bodies, and relevant stakeholders to gather accurate data on unpaid wages, according to Business Recorder. Developing a concrete strategy is seen as essential to guarantee timely payments for affected workers.

Summary and What Next

The committee directed officials to formulate and submit a concrete strategy within 15 days. Further developments depend on the ministry obtaining the required data from representative organisations and media houses.