June 16, 2026
By Hafiz ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
Employees of ATV, a well known media institution, previously known as the semi-government Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company, expressed their anguish and desperation at a press conference at the National Press Club Islamabad, showing deep concern over their long-standing financial issues and the worsening situation of their organization.
A large number of employees including female employees, the widows of those who had died, and other affected family members, participated in the protest outside the press club. They highlighted that they were living in extreme destitution for the past several years.
Representatives of the group said that at least 280 employees of the organization had been deprived of their salaries for the last 32 months, while provident funds, gratuity, and other dues have also not been paid. Currently, the organization owes Rs2.25 billion in outstanding dues to the employees, leaving hundreds of families in severe economic distress.
Muhammad Sohail, the representative of the ATV Employees Union, told Voicepk that the institution has been operating since 1974 and is registered under the name ‘Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company Limited.’
He added that ATV and FM Radio 94.6 are its two subsidiary production houses, with ATV consisting mostly of entertainment content. According to him, they are currently protesting because 280 employees had not received 32 months of salaries over the past six years.
Muhammad Sohail said, “Due to the non-payment of salaries, starvation has hit our homes. Nineteen of our colleagues have just died while spending these years protesting and demanding for their rights. Most of them had gone into deep depression in their last days.”
During the press conference he explained that the Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company (SRBC) was established on December 18, 1974, and is a national institution under the administrative control of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Seventy one percent (71%) of the company’s shares are held by Pakistan Television (PTV), 20% by the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Pakistan), and 2% by the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA). ATV is Pakistan’s second-largest television network and has never received any financial grant or subsidy from the Government of Pakistan in its history, operating entirely on its own resources.
Muhammad Sohail alleged that the institution ran successfully under private management from 2005 to 2018, but later, due to poor administrative decisions and financial irregularities, it fell into a severe crisis.
He claimed that heavy interest-based loans were acquired from Habib Bank, employees’ provident funds were utilized, unnecessary projects were launched using loans from various companies, and advertisements worth billions of rupees were broadcast for free, causing irreparable damage to the institution. He noted that no audit of the company has been conducted since 2018. Since the employees played no role in these decisions, the burden of the current situation cannot be placed on the workers. He added that while their institution is semi-government, the government is still not serious about resolving this issue.
Speaking to Voicepk, Samina Ghazanfar Abbasi shared that she has fallen ill and joined the protest directly from the hospital.
“I am exhausted by repeatedly visiting the corridors of power for months. Last week, we met with the Federal Minister for Information and apprised him of all the worries and hardships faced by the employees, explaining that our colleagues have fallen victim to mental agony in this era of inflation.”
According to Samina Abbasi, the Federal Minister assured them that steps to resolve their issues would be taken after the budget matters concluded. She expected a special allocation for their financial difficulties in the federal budget, but deeply regrets that nothing was included. Samina Abbasi also revealed that on November 30, 2025, a formal letter was issued to her by the official Liquidator of ATV, informing her that she was terminated from the organization and should not bother coming to the office anymore. Another protesting woman, Aasia Bibi, who is a widow and the sole breadwinner for her home and children, told ‘VoicePk’ that she is extremely distressed due to the unpaid salaries and has nothing to feed her children. A few days ago, Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar told the media that he was taking serious steps to resolve this issue, but according to the employees, the institution has now been shut down.
Regarding the judicial matter and the winding-up proceedings of the institution, the employees’ representative clarified that the winding-up process was not initiated by the employees or the union, but by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP).
Referring to Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar’s statements, the employees mentioned that they had indeed approached the court for the payment of their salaries and the restoration of the institution, but later withdrew their petition following government assurances.
On the other hand, the ATV case is currently pending before the Islamabad High Court. According to the employee representatives, the Islamabad High Court has repeatedly directed the government,
The Ministry of Information, and Pakistan Television to present a comprehensive plan for the revival of the institution, but no effective revival plan has been submitted to the court to date. They stated that the Federal Minister for Information had also assured the court regarding the revival of the institution and the protection of the employees’ livelihoods, but it was never implemented.
The employees appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the Federal Government, and Federal Minister for Information Attaullah Tarar to save a national institution like ATV from shutting down, pay all outstanding salaries and dues immediately, ensure the payment of dues to retired employees, and take emergency operational measures for the permanent revival of the organization. They stated that if the government is not interested in running the institution, it should at least pay off all employee dues and adjust them into other government departments to protect the livelihood of hundreds of families.
At the conclusion of the press conference, the employees demanded the government to immediately present the ATV revival plan in accordance with the promises made in court to pave the way for the institution’s restoration, protection of employment, and resolution of their issues, and requested the court to play its role.