Institutional blood suckers and crumbling PTV
Since his taking over as MD PTV, YBM has hired around 400 people in sheer violation of PTV rules and court directions given on various occasion. The hired persons are those who even have been rejected or terminated from the private sector channels on a bad performance or on moral corruption here some. Son of Jahangir Badar is also in the list of ghost employees
The ministers and high-level government officials are getting inducted in the Pakistan Television (PTV) ‘esteemed’ journalists on exceptional salaries. These journalists are either being rewarded for their abeyance and friendship or the PPP-government is perhaps trying to counter the hostile media by bribing a section of media. Those being inducted can hardly be termed Jiyalas, so-called ideological PPP-cadre.
Among the newly-inducted PTV staffers, the most prominent name is Yousaf Baig Mirza. He has been appointed as the Managing Director PTV for the third time. Insiders say Yousaf Baig Mirza can ‘go miles’ to serve his benefactors and this ‘virtue’ has always helped him get appointed as the PTV head.
For this third term as the PTV MD, his case has been forwarded and recommended by no other than Ms. Faryal Talpur – sister of Asif Ali Zardari, President of Pakistan. Yousaf Baig’s monthly salary runs into millions and his perks and privileges are unimagined.
His services have been hired on highest ever pay package of Rs. 1.2 million per month, with the additional 3 per cent on earning of advertisement revenue.
Yousuf Baig Mirza, commonly known as YBM, is a notorious character. If his name is goggled one can see dozens of pages elaborating his corruption during the period of dictator Pervez Musharaf. He was accused of sexual harassment. Reportedly, he has paid 30 million to the son of a top politician from Multan.
Since his taking over as MD PTV, he has hired around 400 people in sheer violation of PTV rules and court directions given on various occasion. The hired persons are those who even have been rejected or terminated from the private sector channels on a bad performance or on moral corruption here some.
Here is the list of the fresh appointments made by Yousaf Beg Mirza:
Mohsin Goraya
Mohsin Goraya, a run of the mill journalist, has been recently appointed as Chief Coordinator, News and Current Affairs, PTV, against a whooping salary of Rs. 750,000 per month besides other hefty perks and privileges. The vacancy neither existed in PTV nomenclature nor it was ever advertised in any of the newspapers of the country.
Before his appointment, Mohsin Goraya has worked in the Daily Nawa-e-Waqt and Daily Express – Urdu-language newspapers – and is unable to such an extent, according to the PRV insiders, that he cannot produce a few lines for any office memo or correspondence.
He is considered a chum of the Federal Secretary Information Taimour Azmat Usman.
Kazim Ali Khan
A tarnished character of private sector who was terminated from Duniya News about one and half years ago on the complaints of female anchors on the charges of sexual harassment. Kazim was also rusticated from University of the Punjab for attempting to rape a classmate. Before joining Business Plus, he had a job in Urdu-language eveninger. He has been hired on package of around Rs 300000/-. Mohsin Goraya is considered his mentor.
Ashraf Malkham
Terminated from numbers of channel of private sector on a bad performance, Ashraf Malkham remained without job for at least 8 months after his sacking from SAMA TV. He has been appointed as Head of Reporting, PTV Islamabad, against a post that is non-existent. He is considered close to former Minister for Information and broadcasting Qamer Zaman Kaira.
Ashraf Malkham has been appointed as Head Reporting-PTV against the monumental salary of over Rs. 500,000 per month. Ashraf Malkham has served in Daily The News as reporter and has had brief stints as a correspondent with a couple of television channels. He is appointed on the recommendation of Qamar Zaman Kaira.
Mian Tahir
Appointed as head of In-Put on pay package of Rs. 250000/- per month, against a post non-existent at the PTV. He hardly attends office as have little experience of working on high post. His services were terminated from Dunya TV before landing in the PTV.
Khushnood Ali Khan
Perhaps the only character in Pakistani media who matches Zia Shahid in notoriety is Khushnood Ali Khan. He is depiction of idiomatic rags-to-riches story. But this story is salted with petty corruption and peppered with lavish blackmailing. Khushnood Ali Khan is serving as an anchorperson against the salary of Rs. 250,000 per month. He is accused of benefiting from the state lands, plot politics and other such nefarious businesses. He reportedly enjoys the backing of Qamar Zaman Kaira.
Waheed Hussain
He was reporter with PTV News couple of years ago on monthly salary of Rs. 17,000. He was considered a chum of Mr. Anwar Mehmood, the then Federal Secretary Information. His services were terminated from Waqt News on bad performance, where he was getting only Rs. 60,000 per month.
However, he is now appointed as Coordinator News and Current Affairs on huge package of Rs. 360000/- per month besides other perks.
Dr. Moeed Pirzada
Former customs officer, he has been hired on huge contract of Rs 750,000- for launching an English News and Current Affairs Channel of the PTV.
Shahid Mehmood Nadim
He made million in league with Former Managing Director PTV Arashad Khan through purchase of private dramas and entertainment programmes. Only during the period of 2009-10 they purchased programs worth Rs. 280 million.
Azam Khalil
He publicly claims to be the chum of the former Federal Secretary Information Mansoor Sohail. He is getting Rs. 25000/per program as an anchorperson.
Son of PPP Secretary General Jahangir Badar is also in the list of ghost employees and is getting Rs 150000/- monthly salary.
Sadia Afzal
She is the lady who has been hired on package of Rs. 360000. Since her joining, she has anchored only one programme (Prime Minister Online).
Marryam Qazi
She did MBA a year ago, but having without any marketing experience, she has been hired on a package of Rs 200000.
Imran Meer, Muhammad Iqbal Khan alias Bala Ji, Saeed Minhas, Tahir Malik and Zafar Malik were hired on monthly packages of Rs. 500,000 to Rs. 750,000 per month last year. They were considered to be the chums of former Information Qamar Zaman Kaira. However, the disgruntled employees of the PTV moved the court which declared the appointments of the above mentioned group of five as illegal. Only then their services were terminated after the lapse of almost nine months.
Following is an incomplete list of other PTV favorites and their salaries (in Rs.) excluding perks/privileges hired by the current management of the PTV:
Agha Masood Shorish, Director Current Affairs 250000.00
Ihsan Qadir Hashmi, Director Ptv Global, 225000.00
Najeeb-ur-Rehman Rohila, Central Sales Office, Karachi 225000.00
Muhammad Shoaib Bhutta, Anchorperson 200000.00
B. A Malik, Research Analyst 200000.00
Mustansaar Javed, Anchorperson 200000.00
Syed Anwar-ul-Hassan, PTV News Islamabad, 200000.00
Sadia Afzal, PTV News, Islamabad, 200000.00
Ameen Akhtar, PTV Karachi 200000.00
Muhammad Banaras Khan, PTV Karachi 200000.00
Amara Durrani, PTV Headquarters, 180000.00
Kashif Rabani, National Marketing Manager 180000.00
Amjad Bhatti, Research & Policy 175000.00
Adil-al-Hashmy, Head of Marketing 175000.00
Tariq Mairaj, Ptv Home 175000.00
Mazhar Barlas, Anchorperson 150000.00
Ali Naseer Ahmed, National Marketing Manager, PTV Headquarters 150000.00
Syed Wasif Arshad, PTV News Islamabad 140000.00
Nazir Hussain Dhoki, PTV News Islamabad140000.00
Khwaja Sikandar Hayat, Research Coordinator, Islamabad 140000.00
Ali bin Ashiq Rizvi, PTV Karachi140000.00
Manzoor Qureshi, PTV Karachi 140000.00
Khurshid Nadeem, Anchorperson 125000.00
Samina Waqar, PTV News, Islamabad 125000.00
Huma Baqai, PTV Karachi 107000.00
Aslam Azhar, PTV Headquarters 100000.00
Farrukh Sohail Goindi, PTV Lahore 100000.00
Zubair Ahmed Siddiqui, Desk Editor, PTV News, Islamabad 100000.00
PTV came into existence in 1964 with a staff of 30 employees, which has now risen to more than 6000. Employees of PTV are divided into 09 groups and every group has a separate pay scale.
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Ghulam Haider is Pakistani journalist and development practiotner. He has worked for ten years in Pakistan's leading newspers (Daily The News and Daily The Nation). Currently he is associated with development sector. |