RECORDER REPORT

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Standing Committee on Information and Public Relations has demanded of the Federal Government to increase the duration of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Pakistan Television in its news telecast, otherwise the committee on behalf of KP people will demand Rs 500 million as per year basis on power bills.

It added that Federal Government and provinces had equal right on PTV.

The Committee has also demanded own TV Channel (Abaseen TV) for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

These demands were made in a meeting of the committee held at Peshawar, on Thursday, which was chaired by MPA Ziaullah Bangash.

The meeting thoroughly discussed the overall performance of the Department including Advertisement Policy etc. and other matters relating to the Department.

The meeting was attended by MPAs Salim Khan, Faisal Zaman, Fazal Hakeem and Saleh Muhammad besides Secretary Information KP, Muhammad Tahir Hassan, Director Information, Shuaib-ud-Din and others.

KP Secretary Information and Public Relations Tahir Hassan informed the committee about the administrative structure, responsibilities and the targets achieved so far in detail.

The committee, on this occasion framed various recommendations unanimously in this regard. While considering the effective communication system the committee termed the establishment of the Provincial TV and said that important issue would be raised on the floor of the house.

The committee lauded the upcoming independent reporting system(IPR) to be introduced in the Information Department shortly and hoped the system would help highlight the constituency-wise uplift schemes across the province.

The committee, directed for framing of equal model constitution for Press Clubs across the province with the support of senior journalists whereas a list of beneficiaries of journalists welfare endowment fund getting at district level should also be provided to the committee.

Furthermore, the committee also directed that the list of those government servants be provided who were working as journalists in various districts and asked for strict action against them. The committee while considering the necessary facilities for the department including accommodation and transport etc. had assured for taking up the issue with the provincial government and made recommendation for additional accommodation and provision of transport to abide by its professional obligations.