ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Television Corporation has served legal notice on its former chief Dr Shahid Masood for recovery of Rs5.1 million which he had to pay as per his contract before leaving the organisation.

Acting Secretary Information and Broadcasting Mansoor Sohail informed the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday that on May 27 the PTVC had sent the legal notice to the former PTV managing director, who also held the additional charge of its chairmanship for some time. The issue came before the PAC when it was scrutinising the ministry’s audit report for the year 2008-09.

The cabinet secretariat vide its notification dated June 21, 2008, appointed Dr Shahid Masood as managing director of PTVC with the additional charge of chairmanship. He assumed the charge on the same date. As per appointment letter dated June 27, 2008, his contract period was five years and in case of early termination of the contract a notice of six months was required from either side or gross salary in lieu thereof. The gross salary of the officer was fixed at Rs850,000 per month.

Dr Masood tendered resignation which was accepted by the prime minister with effect from November 3, 2008. The officer did not serve the notice of six months and, therefore, was liable to pay the gross salary amounting to Rs5.1 million in lieu of the notice period. The irregularity was reported to the management on April 2, 2009, and to the ministry on June 1, 2009.

PAC Chairman Chaudhry Nisar Ali said when it came to public money no favour should be done to anybody; therefore, the committee backed PTVC’s decision to serve legal notice on Dr Masood.

Commenting on the overall working of the information ministry, the PAC chairman said the ministry was keeping its various operations secret which over the years had cast shadow over its affairs. Accepting that the ministry during PML-N’s two terms in power also remained involved in such activities, Mr Nisar called for a serious re-examining of its working. “Until this day, I am unable to understand why the ministry keeps a secret fund,” he said, warning that next time the PAC would like to know each and every penny spent by the ministry.

PTV FOUNDATION: The PAC directed the secretary information, who is also chairman of the PTV, to wind up its foundation whose affairs over the years had gone from bad to worse.

Mr Sohail informed the committee that since taking over the charge of the ministry, he had a couple of meetings with the foundation’s board of directors and found it was not a viable option. In response, the PAC chairman said the committee also recommended the same and was willing to extend help to the PTV administration.

The PTV board of directors in its meeting held on August 28, 2001, had approved incorporation of the PTV foundation. As per its charter, the foundation was established to carry on the business of advertising, publishing, film making, drama production to establish, operate studios, theatres and other institutions for the promotion of science, art and culture. So far the foundation has consumed Rs30 million loaned money but failed to start even a single project.

INQUIRY: The PAC also directed the secretary information to hold an inquiry into reported complaints against Radio Pakistan boss, Murtaza Solangi.

KARACHI: Renowned anchorperson and news analyst, Dr Shahid Masood, has assumed the responsibilities of President of ARY Digital Network, ARY NEWS has reported.

“Dr Shahid Masood has joined ARY Digital Network as President. He will be the administrative head of all the sub companies of the network,” said an announcement by the group issued here Thursday.

Salman Iqbal, CEO and MD of the group, has felicitated Dr Masood on assuming new responsibilities and wished him a good luck, the channel reports.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 18: The Senate repealed on Monday the Removal from Service (Special Powers) Ordinance of 2000 promulgated by former president Pervez Musharraf.

The house also approved the ‘Service Tribunals (Amendment) Bill of 2007’ which declares that all employees working in federal government organisations are civil servant who will be allowed to take their disputes to the NIRC, labour courts and the High Court. The bill was tabled by Senator Raza Rabbani.

Earlier, Mir Hasil Bizenjo, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and Dr Ismail Buledi walked out of the house, registering their protest against the FC action in Khuzdar which, they said, was against the spirit of the recently-announced Balochistan package.

Leader of the Opposition Wasim Sajjad and Leader of the House Syed Nayyar Bokhari supported their point of view.

The minister of state for interior said that an inquiry into the incident had been ordered and its findings would be produced in the house.

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The ‘other persons’ entered the room immediately. They were: Prime Minster Shaukat Aziz, the Directors General of Military Intelligence (MI), Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Director General Intelligence Bureau (IB), Chief of Staff (COS) and another official. All officials (except the IB chief and the COS) were in uniform. “The meeting lasted about 30 minutes. The chiefs of the MI, ISI and IB stayed back, but they too did not show him me a single piece of evidence.” In fact, Justice iftikhar said, no official, except the ISI chief, had any document with him. The officials, however, alleged that Justice Iftikhar had used his influence to get his son admitted in Bolan Medical College, Quetta, when he was serving as a judge of the Balochistan High Court. The ISI and MI heads persisted in their demand for resignation, the CJ said. “I refused, saying that the demand has a collateral purpose.” REFERENCE: CJ says chiefs of MI, ISI asked him to quit: Affidavit on March 9 camp office event By Iftikhar A. Khan May 30, 2007 Wednesday Jamadi-ul-Awwal 13, 1428 http://www.dawn.com/2007/05/30/top1.htm

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NOW READ LIES AND PACK OF CONTRADICTIONS IN THE NEWS INTERNATIONAL:

Article Ansar Abbasi on Gen Kayani who had even offered a cup of coffee to CJ is as under:

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This is also in public knowledge that even during the days when Musharraf was an all powerful dictator, he had also refused to give an affidavit against the incumbent Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry following his controversial suspension on March 9, 2007. Perhaps not many know that Musharraf and some of his other Generals misbehaved with the chief justice on March 9 in order to coerce him into tendering resignation, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the then ISI chief, was decent and polite with the chief justice. While others were rude towards the CJ, it was Gen Kayani, who had even offered a cup of coffee to Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.Army to stay away
Thursday, July 23, 2009 Kayani treated Iftikhar with respect when Musharraf and aides misbehaved with him By Ansar Abbasi http://www.thenews.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=23417

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How dictator Musharraf used his colleagues against Justice Iftikhar Friday, December 25, 2009 By Usman Manzoor
http://thenews.jang.com.pk/top_story_detail.asp?Id=26280
http://www.jang.com.pk/jang/dec2009-daily/25-12-2009/main.htm
ISLAMABAD: The detailed judgment in the case of the restoration of the Chief Justice of Pakistan on July 20, 2007 reveals that not only Pervez Musharraf but the then Director General ISI and the DG Military Intelligence (MI) had also insisted that the chief justice resign during his illegal detention at the Army House Rawalpindi on March 9, 2007.

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