Thaindian News

Islamabad, Dec 30 (IANS) The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation — popularly known in the subcontinent as Radio Pakistan — is facing a severe financial crunch due to which the future of over 3,000 employees and artistes all over the country has become uncertain.

Permanent employees of the corporation have not been paid the 15 percent increase in salary announced in the federal budget 2011-12, while contractual and daily-wage workers are waiting for their salaries for the last two months, Dawn News reported.

Some employees said the management has told them the ministry of finance was yet to release the funds needed to pay them the raise.

A daily-wage employee said that in the Urdu unit there were 35 employees out of which three were regular and the remaining were daily earners.

Same was the case in the units of different languages like Punjabi, Seraiki, Balochi, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Balti and Hindi, he said.

Another employee alleged that only those who have good relations with officers of the accounts section get their cheques on time while others have to wait for months.

An artiste said usually they earn around Rs.8,000 to Rs.10,000 per month, but the management has not been able to give them even that on time. Due to this delay, most artistes want to leave the corporation.

Station director for Islamabad, Abdul Hafeez has said most corporations across the country were facing similar financial problems.

The Pakistan Broadcasting Service came into existence Aug 14, 1947 after the creation of Pakistan. It was also named Radio Pakistan, which was converted into a corporation under an ordinance issued by then president Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto in 1972.

At present, Radio Pakistan broadcasts programmes in 23 languages.