Pakistani News Channels & Their Style Drama with Political Drum Beaters

What happens no where else on the surface of our common earth, happens only and exclusively in Pakistan. One such example is the so called Free Media and News Channels of Pakistan.

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According to them, in a democratic country everyone is free to make a point on any issue relating to public and their life. Political issues are hotly debated in all the news channels of this reborn democratic country. (once they were barred…remember those Musharraf Days of Emergency when he sacked all the defiant judges of the superior court). These news channels appeared to be the hero worshipers and hero creators by giving generous coverage to the lawyers movement… or lawyers motivated protests which turned out to have a flavor of old days of democratic politics!

Much viewed and much referred to as a source of correct information in today’s modern knowledge world, media channels portrayed or let me say tried to portray a good image into the minds of a public who had never before seen such huge number of news channels and that of Pakistani origin…oh my God…never had they even perceived that once they will also have such and such news channels.(Thanks to the old dictator who introduced it because our democratically elected governments would attack our supreme court…remember the old days of 1997) Well whatever media does is debatable on any platform so long as it is appropriate! Will media cover that too?

Critical thinking is what makes a person and ultimately the masses conceptually clear in all affairs from scientific experiments to social issues. However, this process of critical thinking has not yet been encouraged in Pakistan (Who has introduced it??? A point to ponder upon). Media and particularly News channels appeared to spearhead this movement by sharply criticizing a lingering dictator who waved good bye to the presidency sometimes back in August, which is a, safe haven or Shelter for the newly elected President and his Allies (Remember! Bacha Khan’s proud grandson flew to that destination within an hour of the bomb blast at this Hujra). These news channel have also done another good work of entertaining its viewers with political dramas…still wondering???

Well, let me unveil the curtain to the viewers of a live theatrical show where all actors are real and honorable political workers.. workers??? No, no they are political leaders. Here is a big show that no other news channel offers. Not even the world renown international channels like BBC, CNN, Al jazeera and so forth.

Theme: Education, Health & Economy

Guest Speakers: Minister of Labor, MNA (Opposition), Senator (Coalition Partner)

Host: A smiling but Questioning Anchor (To keep the game of mouse and cat running)

Ready, Camera, Actionnnnnnnnnnnnnn

Anchor starts by welcoming the nodding guests in their political outfits.

Question starts right from the minister, while the outers keep their watering mouth shut for a moment until they can find a political statement to jump into the discussion. (Waters mouth in the desire of becoming minister and not of the hot cup of coffee offered to them by their host). The discussion goes a head until a point boils where these so called leaders are caught in the cat and mouse game with its host controller who still smiles in trying to keep the discussion a bit civilized and cool. (Remember the fight between Tehmina Daultana and a maulana from JUI-F on Geo’s popular Capital Talk.)

The point here is not to blame the guests who come from dusty rather cloudy background of poor education, favored by chance or rather choice to occupy those seats that they sit so proudly onto since after all they are invited honorable guests of this TV show.

What bothers is the choice of these poor journalists who God knows better how they’ve earned their degree in journalism and how much are they educated in journalism in a country that has lacked free media and democracy right from its creation day. It adds to the ambiguity of the situation that on an issue of Education, what would a poor MNA, Senator, or hardly literate political minister offer.

How much do they know about the arising health issues. Where have they done a course in economics to talk on budget and how should it be shaped. The poor money making journalists need to understand that the younger generation is watching their purported programs keenly to know about their country and its issues. Where are the professors, economists, educationists, health experts and other in these so called high profile programs to make their point clear and help in setting a goal for the future of this destitute peoples of Pakistan.

Pakistan’s problems are not always political oriented. What has education system gotta do with your politics? What for are these guys educated to talk on a new change in syllabi of schools? Where are doctors to tell people on the prevention of some diseases? Where are the economists to encourage the public of adopting a sound budgeted home expense? What has a political leader gotta do with the sighting of moon? Is it a political issue? Where are the good guys of theology?

It has also been observed that certain news channel offer very generous coverage to a certain political party. In other words, they are actively propagating that party's and its leadership's views publicly. On their part, it is needed to discourage such acts for the sake of good of freedom of a newly born Free Media in Pakistan and in order to enable the younger generation have a wider view of the situation on the ground rather than restricting them to a certain political firm.

Finally, it is desired that we can see some figures of experts on our screens on issues pertaining to their fields. In an attempt to feel the responsibility of media to educate the public through its programs appropriately, journalists must feel the responsibility on their shoulders too to invite experts and ask them for their views. Otherwise, the idea of an emerging civil society in Pakistan shall be viewed hostile to media and particularly to news channels. It is said so, as long as, the media considers itself the fourth strong pillar of democracy. The need of the hour is to encourage the emerging civil society of which media is a part, to play its part in educating the common man through its programs about various issues of the country and their role in resolving them.