On August 29, the National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting expressed concern over the omission of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s image from official Independence Day advertisements and the delay in payment of advertisement dues to newspapers and television channels.
Chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, the committee was informed by Principal Information Officer (PIO) Mobashir Hassan that Rs 6.5 billion had been released to media outlets so far, while another Rs 1.5 billion would be cleared by the end of September. He acknowledged that the Independence Day advertisement campaign was merged with the “Markaz-e-Haq” commemorations, during which the Quaid’s image was left out. The advertising agency admitted its mistake, but the committee deemed the apology insufficient and stressed that such lapses were unacceptable.
The panel also took notice of non-payment of salaries to employees of Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). Secretary Information Ambreen Jan briefed that Rs11 billion had already been released to clear dues, while another Rs4.5 billion request was pending with the Finance Division. Salaries of regular, contractual and daily-wage employees had been cleared till June 25, she added.
During the meeting, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) Managing Director Muhammad Asim Khichi informed the committee that an internal inquiry had uncovered embezzlement exceeding Rs1.24 billion in a PSDP project, along with irregularities in employee expenses, fake appointments and provident fund accounts. The FIA has registered cases against 16 individuals, including former executive directors, managers and clerical staff.
Committee members praised Khichi’s role as a whistleblower and directed him to ensure recovery of the embezzled funds. He further briefed that APP’s website generated Rs2.4 million in annual revenue, saved $9,000 through server migration, and recorded 85 million impressions. The agency publishes 350–400 stories daily and maintains a growing digital footprint across Facebook, TikTok, X, Instagram and YouTube.
Khichi said cabinet approval was awaited for signing news exchange agreements with 11 foreign agencies. He also reported that degree verification of staff was near completion, pensioners are now required to submit life certificates every six months, and Rs300 million has been demanded from the Finance Division to cover pension enhancements from recent federal budgets.
A representative of the Press Information Commission (PIC) told the committee that 6,340 complaints had been registered over the past eight years, with 5,435 disposed of, 905 still under process, and 268 appeals pending in high courts.
The committee also voiced concern over opposition blackout in state-run media and reiterated its commitment to transparency and accountability across all institutions.
