Federal Minister for Information has denied that any such move is on the cards; MD PTV wants to get the terminated officials back

Special Correspondent

ISLAMABAD: In blatant disregard of the directions of the Prime Minister, Managing Director PTV is all set to illegally restore through back channel, seven contractual officials drawing high salary packages whose services had been terminated by the PTV Board of Directors.

It may recalled that the PTV BoD in its 243rd meeting held on December, 7th, 2020 had decided to the cap the salary packages of contractual employees at Rs. 350,000/- . The board further resolved to terminate the services of seven contractual employees that had been employed on posts specially created for these individuals without advertising the position or obtaining concurrence from the Ministry of Finance which is in gross violation of rules and judgments of the superior courts.

According to well placed sources, the Managing Director PTV dissented the decision of the board. He raised the matter of their re-instatement during a meeting with the Prime Minister in February, 2021, wherein the Prime Minister did not accede to the request and directed that as the appointment of these individuals was irregular and on heavy packages, on no count should they be restored.  

Seven of these individuals, namely Khawar Azhar, Asim Baig, Nasir Naqvi, Nadeem Niazi, Tahir Mushtaq, Qatrina Hosain and Khurram Mushtaq filed a writ against their termination before the Islamabad High Court which was dismissed in il limini, which was not challenged and has attained finality.

With the cabinet reshuffle in March, 2021, Managing Director PTV is once again making concerted efforts to illegally reinstate these individual which is in gross violation to the specific orders of the Prime Minister. While the Federal Minister for Information has denied that any such move is on the cards, offices have been allocated to these individuals and reinstatement letters are likely to be issued today by Pakistan Television. Sources privy to the facts have expressed amazement and dismay at the move by Managing Director PTV and fear that it is likely to became the source of another major scandal at the national broadcaster and embarrassment to the office of the Prime Minister.