The meeting took place here in the parliament house with Rehana Aleem Mashadi in the chair to discuss the role of print and electronic media during the country's one of the worst disaster.
The committee congratulated both the print and electronic media for playing a pivotal role in informing people about ground realities and to motivate them about relief work, which was a daunting task for the government.
Speaking on the occasion, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) central leader Liaquat Baloch said private channels and newspapers have done their best during the whole disaster but there was great need of improving the performance of the Pakistan Television.
He was of the view state-owned television channel was following a discriminatory attitude as only government relief activities were being projected.
Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Sahibzada Fazal Karim also criticised the PTV role and urged there should be factual reporting to apprise people of reality.
He said state-owned television that holds the majority of viewership only concentrates on the coverage of President, Prime Minister and other government officials.
He went on saying PTV was losing its credibility and people believe on private channels' facts and figures.
Information minister Sheikh Rashid got infuriated and said committee members were lobbying and targeting the PTV.
He lauded the performance of Pakistan Television Corporation and said the credit of private channels performance also goes to President General Pervez Musharraf and his government's media policy.
He maintained the PTV coverage of the October 8 catastrophe was based on ground realities for which the minister gave the organisation '100 percent' credit.
He said private channels have done a great job but the Pakistan Television was also up-to-the-mark and did its best in providing up-to-date and authentic information to people.
Meanwhile, standing committee on health met under the chairpersonship of Dr Hajra Tariq Aziz to review relief measures adopted by the health ministry in the aftermath of October-8 earthquake.
The committee was informed, so far hospitals in the twin cities have received 12,741 patients and provided medical assistance including surgery.
The meeting was informed about the rapid relief measures taken by the health ministry including 163 medical teams operating in AJK and NWFP and 43 foreign teams.
Federal health minister Muhammad Nasir Khan said they have imposed a complete ban on the movement of patients particularly women and children from hospitals and ban have also been extended for shifting patients abroad.
Similarly, the cabinet has imposed a complete ban on adoption of children, as the government was planning to set up safe houses for them.
Khan further said a complete data has been maintained and transparency has also been ensured regarding medicines received from local and international donors.
It was proposed members of the standing committee might also be associated with medical teams to know ground realities and, thereafter, inform the media for the efforts being made by these teams.
It was also suggested the health ministry might formulate a list of all medicines required and give it to the electronic media for display regularly.
The committee was informed there was no shortage of medicines including Anti-Tetanus Serum and Anti-Tetanus Globulin and regular supplies of required medicines from international donors were being received.
The federal minister apprised the committee that they have divided the work of the ministry in three phases - primarily, the immediate relief to victims, secondly, rehabilitation and thirdly, long-term planning.