Staff Reporter – Islamabad:
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry constituted on Thursday a committee to probe alleged favouritism in the distribution of ads during the previous PML-N government.
The body was formed a day after PML-N vice president Maryam Nawaz admitted that a viral audio clip in which she can be heard issuing instructions to someone to refuse advertisements to certain TV channels is genuine.
The committee has been tasked to investigate the alleged award of ads to the opposition party’s favourite media houses and journalists during its stint in power and compile a report in this regard.
A whopping Rs9.62 billion worth of public funds were squandered through a media cell reportedly headed by Maryam. Besides, evidence of the cell interfering in the release of the Punjab government’s ads also came to the fore.
Meanwhile, the Senate Standing Committee on Information has also taken notice of the matter and sought details of ads issued during the last PML-N and PPP tenures.
Addressing a press conference in Islamabad the other day, Maryam Nawaz confirmed the authenticity of a viral audio clip in which she can be heard issuing instructions to someone to stop releasing advertisements to certain TV channels.
