Capital TV threatens and fires employees asking for payment of salaries
Related post: FIR against management of Capital TV: Protest against Capital TV by Pakistani journalists
I had been hearing for last many months about Capital TV that its employees are not getting the salaries. Then I read on Facebook and social media that one of their employees Benazir Mehdi tried to commit suicide due to economic hardships he is facing due to lack of salary payment.
Yesterday I decided to visit the Capital TV and to meet the employees in person to know the actual situation.
When I reached Capital TV headquarters, same time a huge sized black BMW entered in the gate and a man in glasses wearing a very expensive branded dress came out of the car. He was Hasham Riaz Shaik, the owner of Capital TV.
Any way I met quite a few employees of Capital TV and heard horrible things. They have not received salaries since May 2013, and if somebody insists for his rights, he is asked to leave the job. Many employees have lost their rented houses, their kids’ names have been removed from their schools. The employees do not have money even to buy medicine for their wives or kids if they are sick.
Some employees working in Lahore office are receiving only half of their full salary. They are angry, furstrated and helpless.
The worst side of this picture is that the MD Basit Riaz Shaikh gives a cold response and gets angry if somebody demands salary.
I am unable to understand why PEMRA does not take notice of this situation and cancel Capital TV’s license? There is a clear law of PEMRA that the channel must have sufficient funds for their routine operations and maintenance.
Why does Chief Justice of Pakistan not take an action against Capital TV and its unscrupulous owners and managers?
Why is Raza Rumi, a simultaneious paid employee of Najam Sethi, Sherry Rehman and Basit Riaz Sheikh, allowed to harass and blackmail people inside and outside Capital TV?
Are all media persons, unionists, human rights activists who who can help the exploited employees of Capital TV waiting for some major accident? Are we waiting if someone’s suicide to play politics on his or her dead body?
Please do not let the people reach to a point of frustration.
Let’s hope that human rights champions such as Sharmeela Farooqui, Nafeesa Shah and Ali Dayan Hasan will pay urgent attention to this matter.
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Tweet lands Capital TV staffer in trouble
JournalismPakistan.com
September 17, 2013
http://www.journalismpakistan.com/news-detail.php?newsid=1129
The managers at Capital Television have reporteldy started issuing show cause notices to some staff members for using the social media to highlight problems they face within the organization, particularly salary delays.
Insiders say many employees have not been paid their salaries for more than two months. “There are however, some to whom pay is disbursed on time,” a source in the know tells JournalismPakistan.com.
One letter issued to a staffer (name/designation purposely withheld) by the Human Resource Manager states:
“It has been noticed that your performance with regard to general professional corporate behavior leaves a lot to be desired.
“You must acknowledge that an employee is a representative of his/her organization and his/her act off/on the field is always noticeable, especially when he/she is on social media,” says the letter.
“You tweeted on September….regarding Capital TV from your persona account which spread the wrong representation of an organization where you are working.
“Though we recognize that every employee had the right to do his/her activities but when it comes to maligning the organization publicly, that is inappropriate and unacceptable.”
Later in show cause notice, the Human Resource Manager seeks written explanation from the staffer “within 2 days” as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against him/her.
He says “the management has taken serious notice of such an act of misconduct on your part.”
Capital TV, launched in April, is headed by Basit Sheikh. It has not been all smooth sailing though. The channel was shut down by the authorities soon after its launch after a guest on one of their live shows insulted the army chief.
However, they were allowed to resume programing days later reportedly after high-level negotiations and a written apology submitted by the television management with the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority.
In July, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the channel after it broke a story on mega corruption in the EOBI. Capital TV suspected the many wrong doers and influential people in the scandal had a hand in registration of FIR.
However, there was another angle to the story. It was said that reporter Huzaifa Rehman who broke the news was allegedly manhandled and threatened by Captial managers. Reports say an FIR was registered against the channel on the directives of the Interior Minister.
Journalists unions stood by the reporter and held protests.
More recently, Fahd Hussain, one of the key team members who helped launch the channel quit to join Express News, which some say is somewhat of setback while for some others at the channel it is good riddance.
Secrets about the financial mismanagement in Capital TV
Sources have confirmed that the financial mess caused at Capital TV is a
combination of a lot of reasons which directly or indirectly are related to
the heavy blackmailing and corruption within the media industry.
According to insiders, Capital TV had been suffering an intense fight to
get the money owed by two major advertisers namely Midas and AdCom
group since April for playing political campaigns of PML-N and PPP up
to the tune of PKR 350 million. Both groups have apparently left the
country; this is the major reason of delays in salary as the management
was purely relying on cash flows from agencies to pay the dues in time.
However, sources claim that other reasons of financial delays are mostly
attributed to the ‘Gurus’ of media themselves as they decided to leave
their existing jobs to get lucrative packages at Capital TV.
Fahad Hussain, the Chief Operation Officer (COO) of Capital TV at a
exuberant package was working at PKR 2.5 millions/per month plus a
BMW car, he managed to get his core lieutenants to Capital TV at 5 times
their packages from previous institutions, once such example is of a
news desk person who was hired at a price of PKR 400,000 whereas he
was earning meagerly PKR 50,000 in his previous assignment.
Another department namely “Planning and Research Department”
which was created within Capital TV that led to such a financial crisis was
a brain child of Fahad Hussain that employed over 15 employees at PKR
100,000+ each with head of the group earning over PKR 500,000 a
month. All have been now asked to leave the institution as the group was
famous for doing nothing except to do ‘planning of their personal lives’,
sources claim.
Though employees within the institution are not happy over delays
however they claim that if groups like these were not created on the first
place, things would have been better for this channel. Insiders however
claim that Fahad Hussain got an exuberant golden-handshake of PKR
20 million before leaving Express TV for a package of PKR 500,000 per
month only.
Sources within the group claim that undisclosed sources have confirmed
a capital injection of PKR 500 million recently secured by the
management, however, cash is yet to be injected and full plan is being
made to streamline the organization before cash would be disbursed.
http://www.xreports.net/2013/09/secrets-about-financial-mismanagement.html
Hammad Balghari @Hammadbalghari 3 Oct
The irony is Anchors like @NasimZehra @Razarumi @SattarKhan05 are dead silent on exploitation of their fellows on this Just Cause!#CapitalTV
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 3 Oct
@Hammadbalghari dead silence?No pointscoring isue so no public talk-v raised with management which has its isues1/2 @Razarumi @SattarKhan05
10:35 PM – 3 Oct 13 · Details
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 3 Oct
@Hammadbalghari & ones who cld help in whatever smal way the co-workers, they did.2/2 @Razarumi @SattarKhan05
Hammad Balghari @Hammadbalghari 3 Oct
These anchors talk big words in their shows against injustice and now reacting like ostrichs ! #Shame #CapitalTV @NasimZehra @Razarumi
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 3 Oct
@Hammadbalghari good idea to get your facts before rushing to judge. @Razarumi #CapitalTV
10:55 PM – 3 Oct 13 · Details
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui Good idea to check facts before retweeting accusatory tweets
RETWEET Shezreh Mirza
9:13 AM – 4 Oct 13 · Details
sachin dixit @ssachin_d 4 Oct
@NasimZehra why no show of policy matters on ‘dehati aurat’ controversy ?
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra As senior u shud b with staff on strike & boycott too. Seems like u did ur token protest of ‘i talked to mgmt’ n went bk to work
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui dont make it worse for urself. Pl get ur facts b4 tweeting.Who told u abt my token strike & subsequent walking away??
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra easy woman! i m not making it worse for myself – no need to attack! U tweeted urself saying u talked to mgmt. Chk ur timeline!!
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui politeness young man ! Read carefully.
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra easy woman! i m not making it worse for myself – no need to attack! U tweeted urself saying u talked to mgmt. Chk ur timeline!!
HR @hyderabb 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui @NasimZehra but NZ is a humane person and I think she’s trying behind the scenes
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@hyderabb am not in Pakistan.Salary issue was repeatedly raised but management had its own financial problems.Helped others as much posible
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui dont make it worse for urself. Pl get ur facts b4 tweeting.Who told u abt my token strike & subsequent walking away??
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra https://twitter.com/NasimZehra/status/385850525536636929 … – ur tweet … but the fact tht the issue isnt resolved n ur still working there so shows who r u with..
Shezreh Mirza @ShezrehMirza 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui @nasimzehra something to think about.. The channel has fund problems, not doing it purposely. They r doing whatever they can
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@ShezrehMirza not on purpose for 3 months? shud just declare bankruptcy. But they r not cuz @NasimZehra types not standing with oppressed!
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra
@TahaSSiddiqui good try! Glib talk.Protest,intervention & negotiation resolved the issue 4 dozens last nite.@Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
10:17 AM – 4 Oct 13
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra So ur saying issue of non-payments is resolved & they havent fired anyone n going to pay on time? @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra I dont think thts true becuz i knw some reporters who r saying completely otherwise. @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui heard intervention from @Matiullahjan919 & others acctts settled with around 50 employees. others stayed back @ShezrehMirza
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 24h
@NasimZehra issue resolved by settling a/c due to @Matiullahjan919? So a) wht did YOU do? b) its not settling – its sacking @ShezrehMirza
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 24h
@TahaSSiddiqui check everything with people on the ground & from @CapitalTV_News – @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 23h
@NasimZehra i did. Wht u call settlement euphemistically is called SACKING + sourcing @CapitalTV_News the problem itself? Wow! @ShezrehMirza
Matiullah Jan @Matiullahjan919 21h
@TahaSSiddiqui @NasimZehra @ShezrehMirza all protesting unpaid employees wanted to leave with full dues.Yes relief but with grief, yes.
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 20h
@Matiullahjan919 seems like @NasimZehra cannot see the grief, sadly enough… @ShezrehMirza
Carlos @pk_nationalist 20h
@TahaSSiddiqui sir if my stomach is full, I ll not see those who r striving to death. #Fact. @Matiullahjan919 @NasimZehra @ShezrehMirza
Intisar @Intisar_ul_Haq 15h
@TahaSSiddiqui @NasimZehra @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza v all resigned wid our will, it was like this now: paisay do r jaan choro……..
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra https://twitter.com/NasimZehra/status/385850525536636929 … – ur tweet … but the fact tht the issue isnt resolved n ur still working there so shows who r u with..
Shezreh Mirza @ShezrehMirza 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui @nasimzehra something to think about.. The channel has fund problems, not doing it purposely. They r doing whatever they can
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@ShezrehMirza not on purpose for 3 months? shud just declare bankruptcy. But they r not cuz @NasimZehra types not standing with oppressed!
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui good try! Glib talk.Protest,intervention & negotiation resolved the issue 4 dozens last nite.@Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra I dont think thts true becuz i knw some reporters who r saying completely otherwise. @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 4 Oct
@TahaSSiddiqui heard intervention from @Matiullahjan919 & others acctts settled with around 50 employees. others stayed back @ShezrehMirza
10:37 AM – 4 Oct 13 · Details
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 4 Oct
@NasimZehra issue resolved by settling a/c due to @Matiullahjan919? So a) wht did YOU do? b) its not settling – its sacking @ShezrehMirza
Nasim Zehra @NasimZehra 23h
@TahaSSiddiqui check everything with people on the ground & from @CapitalTV_News – @Matiullahjan919 @ShezrehMirza
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 23h
@NasimZehra i did. Wht u call settlement euphemistically is called SACKING + sourcing @CapitalTV_News the problem itself? Wow! @ShezrehMirza
Matiullah Jan @Matiullahjan919 21h
@TahaSSiddiqui @NasimZehra @ShezrehMirza all protesting unpaid employees wanted to leave with full dues.Yes relief but with grief, yes.
Taha Siddiqui @TahaSSiddiqui 20h
@Matiullahjan919 seems like @NasimZehra cannot see the grief, sadly enough… @ShezrehMirza
Hammad Balghari @Hammadbalghari 10h
“@CMRaisani: Salary mil gayee Raza Sahib? “@Razarumi: On capital tv now””
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Carlos @pk_nationalist 10h
@imranwaseem Recent fiasco at @CapitalTV_News has badly exposed Raza Rumi. Hum to keb se keh rehe thay. @Ahmad_Noorani @Razarumi
Jawad @JShk3 11h
Of course you are! On His #PayMaster’s Humble Service RT”@Razarumi On capital tv now”
Aftab Ahmed @tab_51 13h
@Razarumi Yes, why after agitating on social media u guys work wth banned entities leaders. Also hve u askd Capital tv abt firing employees?
Nawab Raisani @CMRaisani 13h
Salary mil gayee Raza Sahib? “@Razarumi: On capital tv now”
Jaffar Bhatti @jbhatti34 16h
@Razarumi why capital tv is giving prime time to ludhianvi ? :O #shameful
Raza Rumi @Razarumi 3 Oct
@KhanMoiez What do you mean? I am an employee not management. @ZarrarKhuhro @YousufNazar
Moiez Khan @KhanMoiez
@Razarumi sir but i havent seen not a single tweet against management or show Solidarity with other employees?@ZarrarKhuhro @YousufNazar
Moiez Khan @KhanMoiez 18h
Referring to my tweet https://twitter.com/khanmoiez/status/385817582965899264 … haven’t heard frm the big guns frm #CapitalTV @Razarumi @ejazhaider @NasimZehra @mughalbha
Ray @RayPTI 4 Oct
“Give the worker his wages before his sweat dries.” [Tirmidhi Hadith:2987 and Ibn Majah] @CapitalTV_News @nasimzehra @Razarumi @imranwaseem
Imran Waseem @imranwaseem 4 Oct
Before giving lectures of high morality on twitter . Ask capital TV owners to pay salaries to lower staff @NasimZehra @Razarumi
Matiullah Jan @Matiullahjan919 21h
@TahaSSiddiqui @NasimZehra @ShezrehMirza all protesting unpaid employees wanted to leave with full dues.Yes relief but with grief, yes.
Matiullah Jan @Matiullahjan919 4 Oct
Unpaid protesting Capital TV staff in Islamabad resign, receive their cheques for salaries/dues and end their strike.
Matiullah Jan @Matiullahjan919 3 Oct
Unpaid capital TV staff in Islamabad goes on strike and 8 PM news bulletin suspended.
Hammad Balghari @Hammadbalghari 3 Oct
These anchors talk big words in their shows against injustice and now reacting like ostrichs ! #Shame #CapitalTV @NasimZehra @Razarumi
Hammad Balghari @Hammadbalghari 3 Oct
The irony is Anchors like @NasimZehra @Razarumi @SattarKhan05 are dead silent on exploitation of their fellows on this Just Cause!#CapitalTV
Moiez Khan @KhanMoiez 3 Oct
@ZarrarKhuhro disappointed on @Razarumi cant raised his voice for #capitaltv employees (not get paid for 3 months) @YousufNazar
Shahzeb Jillani @ShahzebJillani 3 Oct
@Razarumi yaar aap @CapitalTV_News par bhaashan daitay hein. Can’t u ask them to at least pay their staff? Quetta Rep not paid for 3 months!