ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has reportedly expressed his unhappiness at the reconstitution of PTV Board as proposed by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, well-informed sources told Business Recorder.
The sources said, on November 17, 2020 when the summary of reconstitution of PTV Board came under discussion, Prime Minister questioned as to why the Board was being reconstituted when the PTVC was performing well under the previous Board.
He expressed suspicion of an internal collusion where a private sector members' dominant Board was being replaced with majority of ex-officio members.
However, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting pointed out that the private sector members were de-notified in light of the orders of the Islamabad High Court, which had determined these private members had a conflict of interest. Minister for Law & Justice noted that an appeal in the Supreme Court had been filed and the court will hear the appeal.
The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting also proposed that Shahzada Naeem Bukhari should be nominated as Chairman PTVC Board. Naeem Bukhari and Asghar Nadeem Syed who are over 65 years of age are prominent personalities with impeccable professional expertise and fulfill the criteria as laid down in Corporate Governance Rules 2013. Moreover, being independent members from PICG data bank, their nomination cannot be bracketed with age limitation. It is however proposed that age relaxation in their nomination may also be provided.
During discussion, the Cabinet maintained that the Board should have majority of private sector members and the Independent Directors from the previous Board, who were thorough professionals, should be re-inducted, to the extent possible. The members, however, endorsed bringing in Shahzada Naeem Bukhari, as Chairman of the Board.
After detailed discussion, the Cabinet directed the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to resubmit the summary, in line with the following observations: (i) the composition of the Board shall be on the pattern of previous Board where Independent Directors/private sector members were in majority; (ii) the appeal filed in the Supreme Court may be vigorously pursued and Independent Directors/private sector members from the previous Board shall be re-inducted in the new Board, where possible and; (iii) Shahzada Naeem Bukhari be included in the Board and nominated as Chairman.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020
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