PTV under fire for keeping 8 relatives of an official on salary up to Rs 80,000
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan’s state-run broadcaster has been struggling to stay afloat for years on public money and is now facing questions over how to hire and pay its employees.
The state-run TV channel is already in an accumulated deficit of Rs 20 billion, its revenues have fallen sharply, and the government has once again stepped in with additional funding of Rs 13 billion to cover salaries and essential operations.
But at the same time, allegations of nepotism and favoritism in appointments have thrown the organization into a new cloud. The allegations center on the individual, with claims that several of his relatives hold various positions in PTV.
According to the allegations, his son Muhammad Asif is working as a coordinator on a monthly salary of 80 thousand rupees despite his education in Inter. Zeeshan Khalid, identified as his nephew, is reportedly employed as a coordinator on Rs 70,000 per month.
Another person identified as Kavish, described as a close relative and son-in-law, is reportedly working as a coordinator with a salary of Rs 70,000. His alleged nephew Muhammad Ramzan is allegedly working as a researcher on Rs 55,000 while Ijaz Zaheer, who is also his nephew, is allegedly employed as a spot boy on Rs 55,000.
Mukhtar Ahmad, identified as a close relative, is reportedly serving as coordinator/researcher with a salary of Rs 80,000, Dars Nizami is listed as his qualification.
Two more names have also surfaced, Rafaqat, a close relative who works as a spot boy on Rs 36,500, and Muhammad Zain, another alleged close relative who allegedly works as a security assistant on Rs 55,000.
These allegations raise serious questions about merit, recruitment procedures and accountability within a government agency funded directly or indirectly by taxpayers’ money. However, these are allegations and must be independently verified through PTV’s official employment and personnel records. Nominees and PTV management should also get an opportunity to respond.
When viewed against the financial condition of PTV, this controversy becomes more serious. The broadcaster made a profit of around Rs 870 million in the previous years. In the financial year 2023-24, PTV suffered a loss of around Rs 30 million, while concerns were raised over excessive expenditure in areas including sports, program production and current affairs.
During the financial year 2024-25, PTV’s revenue fell by 22 percent to Rs 14.3 billion, while the corporation recorded a net loss of Rs 639 million. A Finance Ministry report prepared by the Central Monitoring Unit for State-Owned Enterprises subsequently ranked PTV as the 20th most loss-making public sector enterprise.
And behind these annual figures lies an even bigger problem: PTV’s accumulated deficit by June 2025 had reached nearly Rs 20 billion. With PTV struggling to meet its core financial commitments, the government has once again opened the purse strings to the public.
Earlier this year, the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) approved a supplementary grant of Rs 13 billion to PTV to cover salaries and essential operational expenses. This amount was approved against the demand of more than 20 billion rupees presented by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The request included funding for salaries, allowances, utility bills and other necessary expenses.
PTV’s problems are not just about how much money it makes. The bulk of its budget goes to salaries and pensions, leaving limited room for investment, modernization and expansion. The broadcaster has also faced cost pressures in program production and sports broadcasting.
Radio Days
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