PTV MD’s behaviour makes minister blush
By: Khawar Ghumman
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was put in an embarrassing situation on Friday in the National Assembly when Minister for Information Firdous Ashiq Awan while responding to questions regarding poor performance of Pakistan Television (PTV) said that PTV managing director gave a fig to her instructions so she could offer no answer.
The information minister in her rant against the MD PTV said, “These portfolios are transient in nature and thus calls for satisfying the fellow MPs otherwise ministerial post holds no water.”
“Though, on paper, I am his boss, I really don’t know to whom is MD PTV (Yousuf Baig Mirza) accountable, as he pays no heed to my official directives. I shouldn’t be held responsible for a person who is beyond my control,” said the information minister. At this, Deputy Speaker, National Assembly, Faisal Karim Kundi, who was chairing the session, asked Prime Minister Gilani to satisfy the questioners. He asked the prime minister to help his information minister in dealing with PTV affairs.
It is not the first instance of insolvent behaviour shown by the PTV bosses as former MD of the state-run channel Dr Shahid Masood defied the directives of the high-ups and had to quit after much quibbling. In the recent instance, as quoted by inside sources, incumbent MD PTV Yousaf Baig Mirza had on a number of times refused to follow the orders given by information minister regarding the recruitments on various posts pleading that the channel was already overstaffed.
Taken aback by the information minister’s assertion, prime minister made a brief statement saying, “She is the boss of MD PTV and if she is facing some problems in handling the situation, she should come and see me privately.” He further said that he had given full powers to his cabinet members and interfered only when required.
The information minister was responding to a flurry of questions raised during question-answer hour as the members criticised, what they said, nose-diving performance of the national television vis-Ã -vis private channels in the market and also took the minister to the task.
An MQM lawmaker said it seemed the PTV had gone backward as there was hardly anything new or creative to watch.
Ms Bushra Gohar of the ANP said, “I am witnessing a whole lot of regression in the PTV affairs when it comes to its contents. Instead of promoting liberal forces, the PTV seems to be on the side of extremists and radicals.”
Sharing her experience during recent trip to Nepal where PTV is available to local viewers, Ms Gohar said: “Nepalese are not happy with the contents of the channel and some, during interaction, wondered if the PTV only had information minister Dr Awan to present most of the time.
In response, information minister said whether some body liked her face or not, being spokesperson of the government she had to present and defend its point of view on various issues of national importance.
However, she said, the channel was facing severe financial constraints and it was finding difficult to compete with the private sector. She said that she was trying to promote public-private partnership to make it competitive.
Syed Akhonzada Chitan, an MNA from FATA, complained to the minister that despite repeated applications he had filed with the information ministry, no body paid heed to set up a PTV booster in tribal areas. He said PTV booster was once operational there but since 2001 when it was destroyed by Taliban, there was no one to re-erect it and local people had no virtual information on the outside world. Deputy Speaker National Assembly Faisal Kundi also spoke against the inability of PTV management to put in place once its operational bureau in Dera Ismail Khan, his home constituency.
To further rub salt onto the wounds of information minister, deputy speaker quipped if Ms Awan had no control over PTV, Prime Minister Gilani should personally look into his request of reviving PTV office in DI Khan.
Source: Dawn
Date:11/26/2011
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