NAB launches probe against ATV chief
ISLAMABAD (June 30 2007): The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has reportedly launched a probe against the Chairman of ATV Abdul Jabbar for defaulting on payment that he allegedly owed to PTV.
According to South Asian News Agency (SANA), Benazir Bhutto established a television channel in the name of Peoples Television Network (PTN) during her first tenure as Prime Minister.
Later, Mian Nawaz Sharif nationalised it with the name of Shalimar Television Network (STN) in 1992 and it worked as a sister organisation of PTV. At that time the shares of the television channel were available in the market for Rs 10 per share but the government bought it for over Rs 30 per share, SANA claimed.
When President Musharraf dismissed the Nawaz government on October 12, 1999, STN was again privatised and sold to a private contractor known as Abdul Jabbar allegedly for a petty sum.
Abdul Jabbar had the support of an influential bureaucrat and succeeded in having access to PTV costly equipment and up linking facilities.
In return, he allegedly pledged to pay million of rupees to PTV as part of the revenue generated from commercials.
Currently, ATV is said to be earning millions of rupees per month but it is not paying due share to PTV as part of the agreement signed between the two networks.
Previous two managing directors of Pakistan Television tried their best to persuade Abdul Jabbar to pay off PTV an outstanding amount of over one billion rupees.
They reportedly even sent legal notices to him and approached the NAB but both the managing directors were ultimately changed and Jabbar took a sigh of relief when Yousuf Baig Mirza assumed the post of MD PTV.
When concerned quarters in PTV were contacted, they confirmed that Jabbar’s name was included in the list of defaulters of the organisation. They gave no further details.
NAB officials confirmed to SANA that investigation against Jabbar, saying the bureau was established for the purpose
Source: Business Recorder
Date:6/30/2007
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