Leave Shahid Masood alone. People need to be paid what they are worth.
Senate debates PTV chairman’s appointment, package
Senate debates PTV chairman Dr Shahid Masood’s appointment, package
Information Minister Sherry Rehman and Leader of the House in Senate Raza Rabbani came under fire in the Senate on Wednesday when they tried to defend the big financial package given to the newly-appointed chairman PTV Dr Shahid Masood, as one senator after the other stood up to lash out at the controversial deal which, they termed a bid to “silence” a bitter critic of PPP. The Senate, whose proceedings otherwise went on smoothly in the last couple of days, witnessed angry verbal clashes for over one hour – first between Sherry Rehman and Senator Kamil Ali Agha followed by Raza Rabbani and former ISI chief General (retd) senator Qazi Javed Ashraf.
These four lost their tempers during the debate on the package given to Dr Shahid Masood. Raza and Sherry were greatly irritated when questioned by the opposition senators as to how could th egovernment give such a generous package from the taxpayers’ money to someone who was not at all trained to run an organisation like the PTV.
They wondered how could a medical doctor without any administrative experience could be appointed to run the PTV. It was pointed out that he might have been a good anchor, but this alone could not entitle or qualify him to bear the huge responsibility of running an organisation like the PTV.
**Some senators also taunted that now Dr Shahid Masood will start a show with the title “Subb kay Mutabiq”. This debate consumed the entire Question-Hour, something unprecedented in the recent parliamentary history. **
It generated a bitter exchange of hot words between the PPP ministers and opposition senators who accused the party claiming to be fighting for the cause of the poor of distributing millions of rupees on such packages. **Interestingly, Sherry Rehman did not object to a long debate on the issue, rather she egged on the angry senators to put more questions about the appointment of Dr Shahid Masood. Her strange attitude could be explained by the fact that now she has bitter relations with the Dr Shahid Masood and she has virtually lost control over the affairs of the state-run TV. In a rare show, the opposition obliged her by asking more than usually allowed three supplementary questions, and Sherry as minister entertained them without any objection. **
She could have easily ended the debate asking the chair to restrict the questions being put. Judging the mood of the house, the Senate chairman generously allowed more than 18 supplementary questions. Thus, Dr Shahid Masood and those who had given him a very lucrative deal were at the receiving end. However, when towards the end when the opposition senators started grilling Sherry Rehman herself, she lost her temper and had a loud verbal bout with Kamil Ali Agha. Likewise, when Qazi Javed Ashraf termed the TV license fee of Rs 25 per month added to the electricity bill of each consumer ‘Goonda Tax’ that was being used to give hefty packages to individuals like Dr Shahid Masood, Leader of the House Raza Rabbani lost his temper. He shouted at the top of his voice, “General, if you had the moral courage, you should have resigned as you were part of the government which imposed this ‘Goonda tax’”. This enraged Qazi who shouted in return in the same fashion. Rabbani continued pointing finger at him and shouting, “You generals don’t have any morality even in uniform, let alone without uniform”. The acting chairman allowed them to exhaust their fury.
Sherry Rehman tried to defend the appointment and package of Dr Shahid on the plea that the former chairman Yousuf Baig Mirza was getting the same salary. She also rejected the allegations that any underhand deal was done and secret payments were made to Dr Shahid Masood during the course of negotiations.
**Earlier, to a question, Sherry Rehman told the house that Dr Shahid Masood was being paid Rs 850,000 as monthly salary, chauffer driven 1600 CC car with unlimited petrol for private and official use maintained by the corporation. Daily allowance would be in line with MP-1, Shifting Allowance Rs 200,000 one time only, entertainment on actual basis, medical, bonus as paid to other staff every year, mobile phone without any limit, one residential land line phone with Rs 10,000 per month ceiling, one fax at residence, security guards at residence round the clock, one month basic salary as gratuity, 10 percent of the basic salary as provident fund, Rs 50,000 yearly increase. The contract period will be for five years and in case of early termination of contract, a notice of six months will be required from either side or gross salary in lieu thereof. **