Pakistan Television (PTV) is operating at a loss and has drawn significant scrutiny for its recent hiring spree. The national broadcaster has been actively recruiting pro-Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) journalists for key anchor positions, sparking criticism across social media platforms.
Senior journalist Sanaullah Khan disclosed these developments in his vlog, noting that PTV’s current affairs division has seen substantial changes under the supervision of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar has made sweeping alterations, replacing both the Director of News and the Director of Programs. He has also taken a hands-on approach to reviewing each program, which has led to the discontinuation of over 20 shows.
Among the new hires at PTV is Banish Saleem, known for her narratives favouring the ruling party and her critical stance against PTI. She will anchor the prime 8 PM slot and receive a salary ranging from 1 to 1.2 million rupees, while the network will reassign the previous anchors. Rizwan Razi, notorious for his derogatory comments toward PTI’s female members and his pronounced pro-PML-N bias, has joined PTV along with Amin Hafeez, a respected journalist from Lahore with a long tenure at Geo TV.
Additionally, PTV has recruited Nashar Wali, another journalist with pro-PML-N leanings, offering him a compensation package exceeding 1 million rupees. Previously, he worked in the Railways. The network has revamped the morning show lineup, introducing Shuaib Chaudhry from Hum News and possibly Mah Jabeen, who will earn less than their prime-time counterparts.
Amid these staffing changes, PTV has moved former anchor Syed Anwar-ul-Hassan to host a weekend show and has cancelled the show “General Azhar Kiyani Sahib Ka Shor” to accommodate new programming.
Hamad Azhar has condemned these decisions, labelling them as “blatant corruption.” He criticized the financial imprudence of employing high-cost personnel at a loss-making entity, accusing the government of misusing public funds to reward party loyalists, which he described as highly disgraceful.
