A spokesperson of the Shalimar Recording and Broadcasting Company (SRBC), an autonomous body working under the Ministry of Information Broadcasting, National History and Literary Heritage, Government of Pakistan has expressed dismay over reports carried by a section of the media that employees of Sports Star International (SSI) working in ATV had lost their jobs because of cancellation of a contract between SRBC and SSI.
The spokesperson said that the correct position is that SRBC and SSI had entered into a contract under which SSI was obligated to make regular, monthly payments to SRBC for commercial airtime. SSI however, despite being given ample time to abide by its contractual obligations, defaulted on its commitments and its arrears of payments went up to Rs580 million, in which SRBC terminates the contract and initiated legal proceedings against SSI for the recovery of the government arrears.
The spokesperson said that SRBC had been pressing SSI for long to discharge its contractual obligations, but SSI has been delaying payments on one pretext or the other, despite various extensions and opportunities.
SRBC was left with no other option but to sever relations and terminate the contract with it in order to protect the interests of the company and its shareholders, who represent the Government of Pakistan, the spokesperson emphasised.
The spokesperson regretted that SSI, after failing to fulfil its commitments and getting rebuffed by the courts, has now resorted to exploiting its employees who were earlier working for ATV.
The spokesman said that a matter which is essentially a case of willful default of payments on the part of SSI is being twisted for vested and commercial interests of the management of SSI.
The contract between SSI and SRBC was of temporary nature and for a fixed period and therefore SSI should have made recruitments for ATV accordingly.
The spokesperson further stated that the Civil Court has recently dismissed a petition filed by SSI against termination of the contract by SRBC. Similarly, the Islamabad High Court has rejected on merits a petition for stay order moved by SSI.
The spokesperson said that SRBC fully supports the employees of ATV in so far that SSI may have not paid their dues as it was a legal obligation of SSI.
The spokesman further clarified that any issue of ATV employees is between them and SSI only, and SRBC has nothing to do with it.
The spokesman expressed the hope that SSI would desist from misleading its employees or the general public and abstain from exploiting its employees for vested and commercial interests of its management.
SRBC, the spokesperson said, is initiating legal proceedings for recovery of the outstanding dues from SSI and any other relief that may accrue to it as per contractual obligations and law of the land.
