Beg or borrow, but pay your staff, CJP tells Geo

Gives group until April 30 to pay staff, directs CEO to provide affidavit as assurance

ISLAMABAD : The Supreme Court has ordered the management of Geo TV to pay all pending salaries to its employees by April 30.

A three-judge bench, headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar, was hearing a suo motu case regarding the nonpayment of staff salaries by media house owners.

The bench asked the media house to pay the salaries even if it has to “beg or borrow”. The court also said it will shut down TV channels where owners do not pay their staff, adding that employees are the backbone of any organisation.

During the hearing, two Geo News reporters told the bench that their salaries for the last two months are pending. Later, Hamid Mir also admitted that the Geo management has not paid salaries for February and March.

Upon this, the bench summoned Jang Group HR Director Salar Janjua, who also confirmed the delay in payment of employees’ salaries. However, he assured the bench that the management has started paying salaries and it is expected that all staff salaries will be cleared soon.

However, the bench has sought an affidavit from the Geo CEO with an undertaking that staff salaries will be paid by April 30.

Earlier, the bench directed all TV channels to clear pending salaries of their employees by April 30.

During the hearing of the media commission, the same bench sought suggestions from the federal government to make Pemra an independent body. The bench noted that appointments in Pemra should be independent and there should be no government interference.