Govt has no Policy for Providing Ads to the Social Media Journalists: Shahadat Awan

The Minister of State for Law and Justice, Shahadat Awan, stated yesterday that there were no plans to provide social media journalists with advertising. In response to a follow-up question posed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Faisal Saleem Rehman, the state minister stated that the provision of government advertisements to media outlets was governed by the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority and the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.

The state minister stated that social media did not fall within the aforementioned regulations, adding that if senators had a comprehensive strategy in mind, it should be addressed so that ideas can be forwarded to the relevant authorities.

Govt has no Policy for Providing Ads to Social Media Journalists: Shahadat Awan

Senator Mushtaq Ahmed of Jamaat-e-Islami, underlining the importance of media in public life, advocated the production of cultural programs to shield the people from “foreign cultural invasion.” He recalled the past and cited Pakistan Television (PTV) shows as an example of how the culture of all sectors of society impacted the lives of individuals positively.

Shahadat Awan said that there were 68 channels in the country.”There are private television stations that broadcast programs in the local languages and spread the culture around the globe,” he explained.

Fida Muhammad Khan of the PTI recommended bringing Pakistan Radio up to international standards because it had been falling behind. Shahadat Awan stated that steps were being taken to improve Radio Pakistan’s nationwide transmission.

In a written response to Senator Mushtaq’s basic question, the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting stated that as per Clause-14(6) of the Electronic Media (Programmes and Advertisements) Code of Conduct, 2015, advertisements of lotteries, gambling, or betting that are prohibited under the Pakistan Penal Code (Act XLV of 1860) or any other law in force shall not be broadcasted.

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