(Web Desk) - Actors and directors are once again speaking out about the culture of delayed payments that has long plagued the television industry.
Senior actor Mohammad Ahmed told the media that waiting six to eight months for dues has become a “normal” practice.
He described how artists are left pleading for their salaries, forced to submit applications and explain their financial conditions.
Even after this, they are handed partial amounts.
Ahmed said producers often dismiss requests for complete payment by reminding actors of a cheque given weeks earlier, leaving them humiliated.
Hajra Yamin echoed his concerns, pointing out that contracts almost always favour the production side while penalising actors.
She said if a shoot is cancelled due to an artist’s absence, damages must be paid, yet cancellations by producers carry no consequences.
Saheefa Jabbar Khattak shared that she introduced clauses in her contracts addressing harassment and health coverage, but they sparked controversy.
She explained that she often needs months of therapy after completing dramas because of the extreme stress of production schedules.
Hajra also revealed that when she was injured on set, she was simply told to return home without assistance.
Mohammad Ahmed added that despite managing diabetes and personal wardrobe expenses, he has never received adequate consideration on sets.
Director Mehreen Jabbar criticised the system as deeply flawed and said crew members, often the most vulnerable, suffer the worst.
She noted that many actors and technicians remain silent about the abuse out of fear of losing future work.
Ahmed admitted that he too kept quiet for years but now chooses to raise his voice, regardless of consequences.
Previously, Osman Khalid Butt and Saad Qureshi also expressed their frustration, with the latter saying he would rather not act than beg.