Payment of salaries to TV workers: LHC summons provincial information secy

LAHORE: Lahore High Court Chief Justice Muhammad Qasim Khan on Friday summoned the provincial secretary for information and directed the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) to submit affidavits about payment of salaries to their workers.

The PBA had filed a petition for the recovery of the outstanding payment from the Punjab government against the advertisements run on private television channels. PBA counsel Jam Asif Mahmood contended before the court that the government owed over Rs 430 million to the channels for a long time.

He said the non-payment of the amount has been causing financial problems for the television channels as the majority of them are unable to pay salaries to their workers on time.

A law officer admitted that the payments of government advertisements are payable to different television channels. He sought time to present a report and a formula for the payment.

The chief justice directed the law officer to ensure that the secretary information appears before the court on the next hearing after clearing the outstanding payments.

He also directed the PBA counsel to submit affidavits on behalf of the channels about the payment of the salaries to their workers.

CJ Khan observed that the fasting month of Ramazan is around the corner, so the nonpayment of salaries to the media workers would not be tolerated. The hearing was adjourned for a week.