Pakistani journalism

Posted on 10 months ago

Dr. Khurshid Alam
The so-called independent journalism in Pakistan has created a havoc in the country particularly the electronic anchors. The main reason is illiteracy. The printing media has a reach to educated section of the society, the masses tune their ears to TV.
Unfortunately very few anchors deserve to be named as journalist. The rest are paid to create sensationalism by journalistic adventurism. Neither they are bound by a code of conduct and ethics nor they are under oath to speak the truth nothing but the truth. The rabid elephant has no limits or guidelines. Some of them are no more than paid jugglers. The sacred profession is being rapped in the name of free journalism. It is a human nature to abuse any thing that is acquired without struggle and sacrifices. F. M. Ayub took it, Zia gave it back as a gift.
Pakistan is sunk in problems and is struggling for survival while all the pillars of the state are fighting for hegemony and diagonally opposite to each other. There is no place to give benefit of doubt to any one. The only change that is visible that the institution yielding power has changed the shoulders, instead of politicians the shoulders of the jurists are being used.
With few exception, every one is working for some one. Some of the analysts are members of political parties with rigid ideas. To have political views or affiliation is not a forbidden fruit but to be a spokesman of an organisation is dishonesty in fair journalism. They lack tolerance and if questioned or opposed they blow off their skull and never hesitate to resort to personal attacks. It is self-worshipping and forbidden in Islam.
The anchors have adopted space saving technique in journalism. They have squeezed the size of Pakistan only to three cities, Islamabad, Lahore and Karachi. The tip of their nose ends there. They are least aware of the rest of the country.
It is inculcated in their mind that intellectualism and wisdom can only grow in these cities. The rest is a barren land good for strategical depth, otherwise of no use. The problem of Khyber Pass are discussed by the intellectuals of these three cities. The same treatment is extended to interior Sindh, Balochistan, KPK, and FATA. I presume that since we are dependent on the industrial and agricultural produce of these areas, so in their view for the solution of our own problems we also need the intellect of these areas, generally called Ashrafia.
Their political forums are anti-federal, anti-democratic and show their contempt for the rest of the country. They are so empty about history that while other nations were toddlers we Pakhtuns had an empire. Our forefathers did not build glass palaces or tombs in the memory of their beloved but roads and postal system was their contribution.
Probably they are following the footprints of their overseas masters and tagging the human blood with different prices according to race and religion. A drop o human blood is more sacred than the sanctity of holy Kaaba. As human being and Muslim this is our faith. But the coverage given to the rescue of a buffalo from a trench in Punjab receive more coverage than the deaths of human beings in KPK and FATA. About Balochistan massacre they are mum. The disappearance of the political worker and their tortured dead bodies needs no TV coverage. It is highly painful and show the calibre of our self-proclaimed intellectuals.
Wherever a human blood drops that should be the centre of the universe, irrespective of race, religion, class, creed and colour. The loss of our national status in international community is the result of our inhuman attitude. God deprives those who have no moral value. Before asking others to respect we should learn how to earn respect.
Ghamdi is right to say that our sorry state of affair is not due to Americans or Russians. The cause lie in us we have departed from our religious moral values so the mantle of leadership has been transferred to those fitter than us. God does not give the leadership of humanity to inhuman flock. He is the lord of universe and humanity not only Muslims.
We need nation building. The root cause of our political, economical and social ills, lies in the national sickness. We have an identity crisis unless we have a respectable identity we cannot get out of this miss. We are deep down up to our brows in our own created filth. It is time we have a sensible political forums run by respectable, learned and prejudice-free anchors. To me a failed government or state is less important than a sick nation.
I was asked by a British diplomat who is journalist also if I can help her in providing informations and suggestions about reorganisation of police in KPK and FATA to make them citizen-friendly, provide protection and restore trust of the public. I gladly agreed but told her that she has embarked on a very difficult mission. It is equal to nation building. I am a follower of a Mahatma ( Bacha Khan) but not Mahatma myself. You should start your mission with a clear idea that you are just one of the contributors and not to expect change. KPK police is considered the best out of all but not ideal. I told her she would be shocked if she happened to see other provinces.
It is also the duty of our locals rich class, who have the resources to think over it that to counter the venom of the adversaries we must have an electronic factory of "Taryaq". Our rich class must come forward to invest in electronic media. We must uphold our principles that we will never devalue human values. Self-defence is every one's right but not filth slinging.
The deeper and long running historical roots of a nation, the richer and calmer is he, like an ocean. The noise of a river shows its shallowness. The taller the mountain the difficult to capture its peak. Mother nature has a lot to teach us but if we have wisdom to think over it.
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