Senate Committee Calls for Protection of Media Workers, Support for Regional Newspapers and Restraint on NCCIA Actions

ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has called for comprehensive measures to protect media workers, strengthen regional and print newspapers, improve transparency in government advertising, and ensure that media organizations fulfill their obligations toward employees.

The committee met in Islamabad under the chairmanship of Senator Sarmad Ali. Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar attended the meeting. Senators Syed Waqar Mehdi, Jan Muhammad and Abdul Shakoor Khan participated in the proceedings, while Senator Pervaiz Rashid joined via video link.

The committee reviewed media policy, digital advertising, welfare of media workers, institutional reforms, the performance of Pakistan Television (PTV), Radio Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP), as well as issues relating to the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA).

Government Advertisement Policy

Briefing the committee, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the government had revised the Advertisement Policy in 2024 to ensure greater transparency in the distribution of official advertisements.

He said electronic media receives the largest share of government advertisements, followed by print and digital media. A third-party verification mechanism has also been introduced for digital advertising, while newspapers are now evaluated through Google Analytics, web metrics and an independent assessment system.

The minister emphasized that digital media has become a self-sustaining platform but should not be promoted at the expense of Pakistan’s print and electronic media.

Regional Newspapers

Recognizing the challenges faced by regional newspapers, the Information Minister announced the formation of a Pakistan Information Department (PID) sub-committee to examine their issues.

The committee also directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to formulate a comprehensive policy for the promotion and protection of regional newspapers.

Senator Jan Muhammad highlighted the difficulties faced by regional newspapers, particularly those published from Balochistan, and stressed their important role in projecting Pakistan’s national narrative.

Chairman Senator Sarmad Ali reiterated that the importance of print media cannot be overlooked and called for additional measures to strengthen the sector and improve the national media list.

The committee observed that supporting mainstream media is essential to effectively counter fake news and disinformation circulating on social media platforms.

Welfare of Media Workers

The committee devoted considerable attention to the welfare and job security of media workers.

Attaullah Tarar said the welfare of media employees remains one of the government’s priorities. He informed members that an agreement with the Pakistan Broadcasters Association (PBA) requires media houses to clear outstanding salaries after receiving government advertisement payments.

The minister also proposed introducing a compensation package for families of media employees who die during service.

Senator Sarmad Ali observed that it is primarily the responsibility of media organizations to compensate families of employees who lose their lives while on duty.

Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi supported the proposal and suggested that the committee recommend a fixed compensation package.

Expressing serious concern over continuing downsizing in the media industry, the committee recommended withholding government advertisements from media organizations that fail to pay salaries regularly and urged the government to revise advertising rates where necessary.

The committee further recommended that all media organizations should be registered with the Employees’ Old-Age Benefits Institution (EOBI) and that life insurance coverage should be made mandatory for media workers.

The Information Minister sought proposals regarding the insurance mechanism and assured members that the government would also consider contributing to such a fund.

Institutional Reforms

The minister informed the committee that the Audit Bureau of Circulation (ABC) and the Registrar Office would be merged as part of institutional reforms aimed at modernizing and improving transparency in the newspaper circulation audit system.

NCCIA Issues

The committee expressed concern over discrepancies in figures previously presented by the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA) regarding social media accounts.

Members noted that NCCIA had subsequently disowned the statistics presented before an earlier meeting of the committee’s sub-committee.

Chairman Senator Sarmad Ali directed NCCIA to submit verified and updated figures.

The committee also took notice of reports that NCCIA had issued notices to certain newspapers and newspaper columnists.

Members observed that such actions do not fall within NCCIA’s legal mandate and could amount to harassment of newspapers and journalists.

The committee directed NCCIA to ensure that no action is taken against newspapers or their websites, as these do not fall under the agency’s jurisdiction.

Senator Syed Waqar Mehdi recalled NCCIA’s earlier assurance that provincial police would no longer register First Information Reports (FIRs) under the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA), and that such cases would instead be handled by NCCIA.

The committee directed the agency to submit a comprehensive report detailing cases transferred by provincial authorities.

Public Sector Media

Reviewing the performance of public sector media organizations, the Information Minister informed the committee that Pakistan Television has become financially self-sufficient for the first time.

He said PTV remains Pakistan’s only television channel with broadcasting rights for the FIFA World Cup.

The minister added that the PTV Board is fully empowered, salaries and pensions were paid on time throughout the previous financial year, and production activities would resume during the current year.

The committee also reviewed measures to generate additional revenue by outsourcing buildings owned by PTV and Radio Pakistan.

Members sought reports on steps being taken to resolve pension-related issues affecting retired employees of Radio Pakistan and the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).