The Senate Standing Committee on Information and Broadcasting on Friday raised serious concerns over the National Press Trust's relevance and functioning. Chairing the meeting, Senator Sarmad Ali observed, "The purpose of the NPT has ceased to exist after the privatisation of its newspapers." He also questioned the continuation of the Trust in its present form and remarked that its purpose needs to be revisited. He directed that details regarding the Trust's property and funds should be presented in the next meeting.

The committee decided to seek views of the Ministry of Law on amending the Trust deed in line with changed ground realities and for the welfare of the media workers. The panel considered key legislative and policy matters. Senators Abdul Shakoor Khan, Syed Waqar Mehdi, Pervaiz Rashid, Jan Muhammad, and Muhammad Abdul Qadir attended the meeting. The chair also called for stricter accountability in the allocation of state advertising and said, "Advertisements for media organizations not registered with the EOBI should be stopped." The committee decided to seek an in-depth briefing from EOBI on the matter in its upcoming meeting.

At the outset, the committee took up for consideration The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, introduced by Senator Muhammad Abdul Qadir in the Senate sitting held on 1 December 2025. The proposed legislation seeks to amend the composition of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Board by providing representation to lawmakers, including one member from the Senate to be nominated by the Chairman Senate and one member from the National Assembly to be nominated by the Speaker of the National Assembly. The committee was informed that the objective of the bill is to broaden oversight of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, and ensure public representation through the inclusion of members of parliament.

The forum was informed by the ministry that the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Board was governed by the SOEs Act and the Ministry of Finance was its custodian. The ministry opposed the bill on the grounds that under Section 11 of the SOEs Act, 2023, a member of the Majlis-e-Shoora or a Provincial Assembly, as well as a holder of political office whether or not in a legislative role, could not be appointed or continue to hold office as an independent director. After detailed discussion, the committee voted on the bill. Apart from Senator Pervaiz Rashid, other members voted in favour of The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (Amendment) Bill, 2025, and accordingly it was passed by the committee.

However, the chair observed that the relevant legal framework may require reconsideration and recommended that an amendment should be made to the SOEs Act, 2023, to address the issue. The committee also took up the compliance report on recommendations made in its earlier meetings held on 15 July 2026 at Old PIPS Hall, Parliament Lodges, and on 23 July 2026 at PTV Headquarters, Islamabad. During the discussion on the state of the media sector, Senator Sarmad Ali stressed the need for immediate support to strengthen the industry in the larger public interest. He said, "Financial support in the shape of advertising should be provided to the mainstream media industry to combat fake news." On the welfare of media workers, the committee was informed that health insurance for journalists and media workers had been revived, while the provision of life insurance was also being considered.