Pakistan’s state-run PTV has suspended 17 officials for failing to ensure “proper” coverage of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Lahore visit due to the non-availability of an advanced laptop.The newly-elected Prime Minister visited Kot Lakhpat Jail and Ramazan Bazaars in Lahore last week.
However, a Pakistan Television (PTV) team failed to ensure “proper” coverage due to the non-availability of an advanced laptop required to upload the video footage through File Transfer Protocol, the Dawn newspaper reported.
As per the standard operating procedures, a VVIP team comprising reporters and producers is responsible for the coverage of the prime minister. The team is equipped with the latest gadgets, including laptops for live streaming and timely uploading of the footage of any event, the report said.
The core team is stationed in Islamabad and moves with the prime minister across the country and abroad, it said.When the PTV Lahore centre was informed about the visit, it asked the PTV headquarters to provide an advanced laptop, it said.
Meanwhile, the Lahore centre arranged the personal laptop of an official. After coverage, when the team tried to transmit the footage, it found the battery of the laptop had drained.
Next day, the PTV administration suspended a total of 17 officials, including the VVIP coverage deputy controller Imran Bashir Khan.
In addition, the administration suspended various engineers and cameramen over the alleged neglect.The suspended employees claimed that they had been scapegoated by the administration appointed by the previous regime in order to save the bigwigs, the report added.Sources in PTV said the Lahore bureau was informed about the PM’s April 24 visit. It once again demanded a laptop, however, the in-charge of reporting as well as current affairs departments of the state-run TV in the capital did not pay any heed and suggested hiring one again.
Sources said the Lahore centre GM was compelled to get his personal laptop from home and hand it over to the VVIP coverage team. After coverage, when the team tried to transmit the footage to the office through FTP, it found the battery of the laptop had drained. Subsequently, instead of the visuals from the spot, PTV covered the event through an audio beeper of the reporter.
Traditionally, the PTV higher management suspended senior officials at the helm of affairs, but this time those removed from office included those from the second and third tiers.
According to the documents, the very next day after the PM’s visit, the PTV administration department on April 25 suspended the VVIP coverage deputy controller, Imran Bashir Khan, and handed over its additional charge to Haroon Elahi, the officiating controller news.
Moreover, Executive Programmes Manager Qaiser Sharif was assigned the additional charge of Lahore centre general manager instead of Saifuddin, and Current Affairs Producer Ishtiaq Ahmed was appointed as the head of current affairs by removing Sohail Ahmed. In addition, the administration suspended various engineers and cameramen over alleged neglect, the documents stated.
PTV spokesman Sohail Bokhari could not be reached for comment.