ISLAMABAD: The Senate Standing Committee on Information and broadcasting on Wednesday directed the government to provide details of expenses on foreign and domestic travel of all prime ministers and chief ministers since 2008.
The committee meeting chaired by Senator Faisal Javed issued these directives while discussing the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s upcoming visit to Saudi Arabia.
Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb informed the meeting that the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif would personally bear the expenses of his visit to Saudi Arabia and all members of his delegation would also bear the expenses themselves.
The Information Ministry officials gave a detailed briefing to the committee on the “Digital Radio Migration” project. The committee was informed that the DRM project would cost RS 7, 540 million and it would be completed in seven years.
It was informed that a new 1000 kw DRM medium wave transmitter would be installed at Rawat in the first
phase.
In the second phase, two new 200 Kw DRM medium wave transmitters would be installed at Lahore and Peshawar.
Similarly four new 100 KW DRM medium wave transmitters would be installed in Quetta, Multan, D.I Khan and Skardu.
The committee was informed that 7 DRM+FM transmitters of 5KW power each would be installed in Quetta, Peshawar, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Narowal, Chitral, Bahawalpur in existing radio stations.
The Chairman PEMRA Saleem Baig gave a briefing on the issues related to the closure of transmission of various TV channels and issuance of notices by PEMRA. He said that the PEMRA had not issued any instructions to close any channel.
He categorically said that ARY broadcasts were not stopped on PTCL Smart TV. On the day news came that ARY broadcasting on PTCL was stopped, PTCL officials were contacted at the same time, he said.
He said that the ARY management has been asked about the names of the cable operators who stopped the broadcasting of ARY but no proof of closure of its broadcast had been provided so far.
“ARY should provide evidence, we will take action”, Chairman PEMRA maintained.
He said that he personally checked at the same time, ARY broadcasts were also coming on cable at his house, and the channel broadcasts were running everywhere.
The committee directed the ARY to submit a report on areas where its broadcast was stopped.
He assured that action would be taken against cable operators if ARY provided relevant data.
The Standing Committee was also given a detailed briefing on the structure and affairs of the Internal Publicity Wing (IP Wing) of the Ministry of Information.
Members of the committee Senator Irfan Siddiqui, Senator Tahir Bizinjo and Senator Aon Abbas Buppi attended the meeting.
Secretary Information Shahera Shahid, senior officers of the ministry and attached departments were also present in the meeting.