Islamabad, November 10,2026: The National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting has expressed serious concern over the non-payment of salaries to media workers and increasing layoffs by media houses, seeking a comprehensive plan from the Ministry of Information to address the issue within 15 days.
The committee, chaired by MNA Pullain Baloch, observed that delays in salary payments and the termination of employees without prior notice or fulfilment of contractual obligations were affecting the livelihoods and welfare of media professionals.
The committee directed the Ministry to present a clear strategy to ensure the payment of outstanding salaries and resolve the issue through effective coordination with media houses and representative organisations of media workers.
The Secretary of the Ministry informed the committee that the government was regularly releasing payments against dues payable to media outlets. However, he said it was unclear why media organisations were not meeting their obligations towards employees. He added that details of outstanding salaries had been sought from the representative organisation of media workers in line with the committee’s directions but had not yet been received.
The committee directed the Ministry to engage all relevant stakeholders, obtain the required information on pending salaries and submit a concrete action plan within the stipulated 15-day period.
Regarding the reported assault on the Chairman of the Press Council of Pakistan, the committee was informed that the matter was currently pending adjudication. The Ministry of Information had also taken notice of the incident and ordered an inquiry, with the investigating committee required to submit its report within 60 days.
In view of the ongoing judicial proceedings and the departmental inquiry, the committee decided to defer discussion until both processes were concluded. It observed that deliberations at this stage could lead to overlapping proceedings or potentially prejudice the matter.
The committee was also briefed on the working and performance of the Central Board of Film Censors. It was informed that recent amendments to the Motion Picture Ordinance, 1979, would change the Board’s nomenclature and introduce several changes to its composition and functioning.
The committee expressed concern over the absence of a unified central forum for film certification, noting that separate provincial certification mechanisms could result in inconsistencies in standards and regulatory practices.
It stressed the need for greater coordination between federal and provincial authorities to develop a harmonised film certification framework, while respecting their respective constitutional jurisdictions. The committee also called for consultations with all relevant stakeholders to examine an effective mechanism.
The meeting was attended by MNAs Kiran Imran Dar, Kiran Haider, Shaheen, Salahuddin Junejo, Mehtab Akbar Rashdi and Rana Ansar, along with the Secretary Information, Chairperson PEMRA and other officials of the concerned departments.
