Minimum Wage Set at 37,000 Rupees for PTV

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar announced ongoing efforts to overhaul Pakistan Television (PTV) to transform it into a dynamic media entity.

During the Question Hour in the National Assembly today, he mentioned that private sector anchors are being recruited to ensure adequate representation for the opposition. The government aims to make PTV a profitable media organization. He also noted the implementation of a minimum wage policy of 37,000 rupees, with a proposal for formal approval by the PTV Board of Directors.

In response to a query about the fire incident at Weekly Bazar H-9, the Minister disclosed that the blaze, which occurred on July 10 this year, destroyed 625 stalls. The financial loss was estimated at approximately 280 million rupees according to stall holders. Following the incident, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has directed authorities to develop a fire safety plan and conduct a thorough fire safety audit of all Mercantile Bazaars in the federal capital monthly, in accordance with Islamabad Fire Prevention and Life Safety Regulations 2010 and international best practices.

On the issue of daily-wage workers under the Chaklala Cantonment Board in Rawalpindi, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif explained that these workers are employed on a purely daily-wage basis without sanctioned vacant posts, making it impossible to regularize their services.

Regarding rural infrastructure development in Islamabad, Minister of State for Information Technology Shaza Fatima Khawaja announced that the Capital Development Authority has launched three projects valued at over 873 million rupees. These projects aim to upgrade services in rural areas to urban standards and include the rehabilitation and improvement of Gokina and Mandiala Road, Phulgrain Sakreela and Member Road, as well as Nai-Abadi and Huzaifa Town Road.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar emphasized the need to change attitudes towards granting inheritance rights to women. He highlighted that the government has enacted legislation to facilitate women’s rights to inheritance and expressed readiness to launch an awareness campaign to underscore the importance of these rights in line with Islamic principles.