Massive financial irregularities committed during Qasmi’s tenure in PTV

Islamabad : Federal Secretary for information and Broadcasting Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera has submitted the details of Rs 270 million before PAC special committee on Pakistan Television (PTV) which shows that former chairman PTV Atta-ul-Haq Qasmi had spent such massive amount in his two years tenure only to satiate his innate avariciousness with impunity.
Federal secretary told the meeting that former chairman Mr Qasmi spent Rs 200 million on the promotion of his TV program and Rs 0.7 million on the repairmen of his personal vehicle which is sheer violation of financial discipline which could be construed as criminal act under the laws.
PAC special committee meeting was held here at parliament house on Thursday with MNA Shafqat Mehmood in the chair besides MNA Ghulam Mustafa Shah and MNA Shahida Akhtar ALI to discuss the financial irregularities in PTV and Qasmi corruption scam that has now hit the country.
Ahmad Nawaz Sukhera told the committee that PTV has been rotten with massive corruption scam and said restructuring plan of PTV is being worked out with the technical support of BBC in order to steer PTV from disaster and put it on recovery path.
An other senior PTV officer told the meeting that Atta Ulhaq Qasmi was all in all (godfather )in PTV affairs and no one could dare to challenge his illegal and unethical orders as he as accorded the power of suspended and posting of the officers resulting in PTV hierarchy was under his control.
On the inquiry of the committee member , secretary told that Yasir Peerzada incumbent member of CDA and son of Atta ulhaq Qasmi was paid Rs 1.5 million from PTV kitty for writing script for PTV program and he was affiliated with PTV for the last 11years.
Secretary further told the committee that under laws PTV chairman is an honorary post and no financial benefits could be disbursed as in past PTV Chairmen had not received even a penny from public money.
The meeting was apprised that Mr Qasmi spend Rs one million on the renovation of his camp office Lahore and two luxury vehicles of PTV were also in the use of Mr Qasmi and added the well refurbished officer is now in the possession ofgeneral manager Lahore PTV CENTRE.
The documents available with this scribe show that Atta Ulhaq Qasmi was getting Rs 1.5million net of tax salary and allowances were according to MP-1.
During his 24 months RS 24 lakh on account of entertainment allowance, Rs 1072000 on TA allowance, Rs 355000on medical allowance , Rs 62000for newspapers , and RS 550000 on telephone bills were incurred and more than RS 60Million was paid on the advertisement of his TV programme.
The committee was informed that there was zero percent revenue collected from his program as his program was on air during the prime time.
Shafqat Mehmood commented during the course of the hearing that he had well acquainted with Atta Ulhaq Qasmi and he used to read his article but after assuming the charge of PTV Chairmanship he had looted the PTV funds with impunity and got tainted his reputation among the general public.
The meeting was told that as many as 53 Achorpersons were inducted on verbal order and are being paid according to orders of powerful authority and added their induction in PTV was sheer violation of government recruitment rules , resulting in PTV programs and talk shows have lowest rating because the general public don’t want to watch such low quality programs.
Secretary informed the committee that PTV is over crowded with officers as there are over 54 conrollers , 11 directors and an army of resource persons and assured the committee that many of them would be slashed as per the permission of PM.
While sharing the details of PTV income , secretary told that major portion of incomer come from general public who paid Rs 35 on their electricity bill resulting in PTV earned Rs 7billion annually and Rs 4 billion comes from other source of revenue including advertisent etc.
The committee was informed that Supreme Court had taken sue motto notice on Qasmi corruption scam and had ordered to conduct audit of the whole amount spent by Attaul Haq Qasmi as all record and details of financial reports have already been submitted before the supreme court that has now ordered a private audit company to audit financial irregularities cooked up during his two years tenure.
PAC special committee said that Parliamentary committee has its own powers and jurisdiction as we could not sit silently and then ordered secretary to furnish the report and indentified the officers who sanctioned such huge amount on the direction of MR Qasmi so that accountability of the officers could be commenced .