PTV Gets 216 New Hires, Asghar Nadeem Sayed Takes Charge — Senate Committee Grills Ataullah Tarar on Media Workers, Salaries and Bullah Film Controversy

Senate Information Committee Chair Sarmad Ali conducts a landmark session as Minister Ataullah Tarar arrives fully prepared, confidently defending PTV’s 216 new appointments, advertising policy, and journalist welfare decisions.

By Imran Malik | Media Industry Desk | MediaBites.com.pk

Pakistan’s Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting held one of its most substantive sessions in recent memory, with Federal Minister Ataullah Tarar arriving fully briefed and answering every question with characteristic directness and confidence — leaving no agenda item unaddressed.

The session was chaired by Senator Sarmad Ali, who drew rare public praise from veteran journalist Rauf Klasra for his vocal, focused, and efficient conduct — a striking contrast to his characteristic quietness in other parliamentary committees.

PTV’s 216 New Appointments — Minister Stands Firm

The most immediately scrutinized item was PTV’s addition of 216 new employees. Tarar defended the appointments firmly, stating that all hirings were made on merit, from the private sector, with strong ratings and proven track records.

The new head of the PTV Board is Asghar Nadeem Sayed, widely respected in Pakistan’s television drama and cultural production circles. Tarar expressed confidence that Sayed’s creative competence would meaningfully evolve PTV’s production quality.

On anchor salaries, Tarar declined to disclose specific figures, stating it was a personal matter and that revealing compensation details would damage individual career prospects.

Government Advertising — The Numbers Revealed

Tarar provided the committee with a significant breakdown of government advertising expenditure in the last fiscal year. The government allocated over PKR 1 billion to digital media, PKR 3 billion to print media, and PKR 5 billion to television channels.

The minister added that digital media platforms are increasingly self-sustaining through online revenue generation and therefore require less government advertising support than traditional broadcast and print outlets — a statement that will concern Pakistan’s growing digital news sector.

Protecting Media Workers — Committee Takes a Firm Stand

The committee adopted a strong position on media worker welfare with direct financial consequences for non-compliant channels.

Members made it clear that government advertising budgets would be cut for channels that delay workers’ salaries or carry out unjustified layoffs. The committee further recommended that government advertising rates be revised downward across channels, thereby reducing employee salaries.

The committee also recommended that families of media workers who die during professional duties must receive compensation of PKR 15 lakh to PKR 20 lakh — addressing a longstanding gap in institutional support for journalism’s most vulnerable workers.

NCCIA and Journalists — Absent but Summoned

The committee took an unambiguous position that journalists should not fall under the NCCIA’s jurisdiction and directed that a notice be issued to the Nai Baat newspaper regarding a specific matter.

However, the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency failed to attend the session, with members informed that the invitation had been sent too late for the agency to arrange representation. The absence was notably felt by everyone present, given the committee’s strong agenda on NCCIA’s expanding use against media workers.

Senator Talal Chaudhry informed Committee Chair Sarmad Ali that NCCIA had been advised and confirmed its attendance for the next session. That appearance will be one of the most closely watched parliamentary exchanges in Pakistan’s recent history of media governance.

The Bullah Film Controversy

Senator Pervaiz Rasheed raised serious concerns about the recent film Bullah, which portrays the beloved Sufi saint Bullah Shah as a warrior and killer rather than the revered symbol of peace, love, and spiritual devotion he represents in Pakistani cultural heritage.

Rasheed questioned why the Film Censor Board failed to catch this misrepresentation before public release. The committee’s engagement signals that the portrayal of religious and cultural figures in Pakistani cinema requires significantly greater regulatory sensitivity and diligence.

A Session That Delivered

The combination of a focused committee chair in Sarmad Ali, a fully prepared minister in Ataullah Tarar, and experienced media scrutiny from Rauf Klasra produced an unusually substantive parliamentary session. Whether its recommendations translate into policy action will be the true measure of its significance.