680 cases related to PEMRA pending in courts: NA committee told.

ISLAMABAD -- National Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting was told on Monday that 680 cases were pending in courts related to complaints filed with Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) against different individuals in media and television channels.

The cases were stuck up as the courts had granted stays to the petitioners.

During the meeting, Secretary Information and Broadcasting Zahida Parveen categorically stated that the ministry and the PEMRA had not imposed any restriction on freedom of media.

The committee was informed that PEMRA had taken action against certain television channels for airing news content in violation of terms of their licences issued only for purposes of showing entertainment programmes.

The committee meeting was chaired by MNA Maiza Hameed in absence of chairman Mian Javed Latif who was called by National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for investigation.

The committee was told that an amount of Rs 87 million given by the Sindh government for purchase of transmitter for Khairpur radio station in 2010 was instead used to pay salaries and pensions of Radio Pakistan employees in 2016 by the then Director General because of the financial crunch.

MNA Nafeesa Shah had raised the issue of transmitter for Radio Khairpur and expressed her displeasure over the diversion of funds.

The committee chair ordered an inquiry into the matter to fix the responsibility.

Director General Radio Pakistan Samina Waqar said funds given by the Sindh government for...