PTV slammed for missing Tri-Nation Cricket series rights
PTV abstained from contesting landing rights for Pakistan-Sri-Lanka-South Africa matches.
ISLAMABAD (Agencies) - Senate’s standing committee for information has strongly castigated State-Run TV channel for failing to win rights for airing Tri-Nation cricket match.
During the Wednesday meeting convened by Kamil Ali Agha at the parliament house
Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the State-TV had committed a grave irregularity by abstaining from contesting landing rights for matches, alongside Sri-Lanka and South Africa.
Speaking over the issue PPP’s Senator Saeed Ghani said that had there been a PPP government, a Suo motto notice would already have been taken over the issue.
Former secretary information, Azmat informed the committee that a director of a private TV channel was heading PCB (Pakistan Cricket Board) , and he would never let State owned TV channel of acquiring landing rights for airing cricket matches live.
On the occasion, former MD, PTV Yousaf Baig Mirza expressed that PTV had formed a cartel over the issue, while the acting MD PTV said that although he had opposed to contest landing rights, yet his advice was not consented to.
Expressing his suspicions, as to how did PTV access the confidential matters of the exact amount being offered by the winning party, the secretary information was ordered for carrying out a detailed enquiry of the issue.
Meanwhile the committee was also informed that interviews for appointment of new MD PTV, for which even PTV employees could apply, had been completed, and a summary had been dispatched to Prime Minister; over which the committee strictly warned against comprising anyone’s seniority and adhering strictly to regulations; besides eschewing ad-hoc policies and immediate filling of any vacant posts, alongwith immediate action over any illegal orders, directives.
The committee also expressed its chagrin over appointment and authority of Dr. Naeem Niaz in PTV Sports section and demanded an immediate report over the issue from secretary information.
Taking Senator Syed Zafar Al Shah’s criticism the committee also ordered immediate cessation of removals of any junior employees of Radio Pakistan and asked secretary information for a detailed report over the issue.
