Two particular encounters on two TV channels Thursday night revealed the mind of the “misplaced or hostile anchor” in Pakistan. The first was a discussion among a group of TV journalists on the accusation levelled against them that they are no longer impartial in their conduct of talk shows and tend to favour a political stance. The “consensus” was that encroachments on institutions of representative democracy by military rulers could not be viewed with impartiality, and that a show of partiality was dictated by the anchors’ loyalty to the Constitution. One opinion was that this obligatory partiality must be accompanied by “objectivity”; but it was not clear how the state of being “objective” could be reconciled with the state of being “partial”. REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 Pakistani Journalists Living in Government Houses – Part – 1 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wguj9Stp8-0&feature=channel_video_title
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
The other discussion was an interview with Pakistan’s ambassador Mr Hussain Haqqani by a TV journalist noted for his acerbity of approach and bias. The topic was the attack made by NATO-ISAF forces inside Mohmand Agency which resulted in the death of 13 Pakistani troops, souring Pakistan’s relations between Washington. The ambassador, while acknowledging his duty to bring the umbrage of Pakistan to the notice of the Washington Administration in the most forceful of terms, also charged the TV person with the obligation of looking objectively at the situation in which Pakistan found itself. He asked him if he took account of the ground realities in the Tribal Areas where the war against terrorism was clearly in the national interest of Pakistan. The ambassador argued for “realism” in the handling of such crises as the one resulting from the attack in the Mohmand area. But the TV anchor demanded that Pakistan approach the United Nations for a solution to the problem of the growing breach of Pakistan’s “sovereignty” and “territorial integrity”. The ambassador pointed out that the Security Council was an arena of power play, not a kind of Supreme Court where all plaintiffs were equal. The TV anchor then fell back on the argument of “national pride” and claimed to represent the people of Pakistan, arguing in favour of Pakistan opting out of the international war on terrorism. He had no answer, however, to the question about what Pakistan would do after that, after its various trouble spots are bombed by a combination of forces united inside the US Security Council. REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 Pakistani Journalists Living in Government Houses – Part – 2 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7CpjrRxI8Q&feature=related
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
The patriotically “partial” TV anchors began by opposing a military ruler and are now caught in a situation of political bias under democracy because of the dictates of their partiality. The 2008 elections have delivered a political battlefield where elected parties are trying to move together despite their different recipes and solutions. What should the TV anchors do now? Normally, they should have moved back and become neutral, letting the discussions be fairly judged by the viewers, but they continue to pose as arbiters and decide on their own such matters as the “mandate” of the 2008 elections, the “immorality” of the NRO, and the rough dismissal of President Musharraf from his job. But when matters are in dispute between elected parties and in parliament, it is the duty of the media to remain impartial in order to allow the people to make their own judgements. REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 Pakistani Journalists Living in Government Houses – Part – 3 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
While highlighting the “complaints” against the TV channels, one must be clear, however, about the over-all role played by our electronic journalism. Despite their early “philosophical” gropings, the TV channels are a sine qua non of our lives and their foibles of “partiality” are dwarfed by their achievement of creating awareness among the people on all other economic and social matters. For example, in Punjab, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is taking action, correctly, after watching TV reports on the malfunction of government institutions. REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 Pakistani Journalists Living in Government Houses – Part – 4 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
URL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYsTsP57rIo&feature=related
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
A sense of pride and sovereignty may take nations into war and humiliate them without making them understand what went wrong. This happened to Germany in the Second World War and in recent times to Serbia whose people, proud and sovereign, hate the world today for not understanding why they were killing Bosnians and Kosovars. But states don’t only feel aroused emotionally. They can also be cold-blooded. They can be motivated only by their self-interest whose pursuit might negate the state’s pride and sovereignty. When Iran and America confront each other, both tend to fly off the handle. In contrast, in Europe, where many nationalist wars were fought in the past, few feel as aroused. REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 Pakistani Journalists Living in Government Houses – Part – 5 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
Why shouldn’t a state feel emotional? Because being emotional may be contrary to its national interests. These interests are almost always economic. This is perfectly understandable because as long as a nation is prosperous and not dependent on outside creditors, its pride and sovereignty remain intact. But if a state is neglectful of its economy and pursues other emotional goals either unrelated or hostile to its economy it is bound to impose suffering on its people through the growth of poverty. And nothing removes pride and sovereignty from a nation more cruelly and quickly than poverty. Let us not forget that the organisation which kidnapped and beheaded the American journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002 called itself National Movement for the Restoration of Pakistani Sovereignty. * REFERENCES: Editorial: Regime of ‘hostile’ TV anchors Saturday, June 21, 2008 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2008\06\21\story_21-6-2008_pg3_1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0GqTZbvCOc&feature=related
Many Journalists have been allotted government accommodation in Islamabad in violation of rules and regulations at highly subsidized rates. One wonders how they can be impartial in their reporting after taking such favours from the government. Watch this episode of Apna Gareban, as Matiullah Jan exposes the names of these Journalists and talks to some of them, who feel uncomfortable and shy in admitting their guilt. Guests: Rauf Klasra (Editor Investigations, The Tribune), Waheed Hussain (Anchorperson, PTV) and Sabir Shakir (Bureau Chief, ARY NEWS). List of journalists given plots in Islamabad Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70940/list-of-journalists-given-plots-in-islamabad/ Generous bonanza : One plot, two plot Published: November 24, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/81020/generous-bonanza-one-plot-two-plot/ Journalists are no exception By Rauf Klasra Published: November 1, 2010 http://tribune.com.pk/story/70724/journalists-are-no-exception/
Tailpiece:
LAHORE: With a five million unit shortfall of houses across the country, the housing problem is increasing in Pakistan, particularly in big cities. The government has also failed to devise a comprehensive and long-term strategy to cope with the problem that has resulted in congestion and overcrowding in cities, consultant engineers of different organisations told PPI on Saturday. According to the 1998 census, they pointed out that there were 19.3 million housing units in Pakistan. Among them, 67.7 percent were located in rural areas and 32.3 percent in urban areas. The fifth housing census revealed that 34.8 percent houses in the country were made from the mud of unbaked bricks, 58.2 percent were made from baked bricks, concrete blocks or stones while 7.3 percent houses in the rural areas and 1.4 percent in urban areas were made from bamboo or wood covered with thatching.
These consultant engineers said that the housing problems were increasing in the country owing to the concerned authorities lack of interest. They stated that if immediate steps were not taken, the problem would become more complicated. Muhammad Nisar said that the housing problem in big cities including Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Peshawar, Multan and Hyderabad was getting complex. He said that the government should construct housing schemes in the suburbs of big cities. He added that the housing problem could not be solved without the government’s support. The representatives of the Punjab Contractors Association said that the government should provide soft loans to people for the construction of houses and also the interest rate on loans given by the House Building Finance Corporation should be reduced. They also demanded that the construction industry should be given incentives to help end the slump in this sector. —PPI REFERENCE: Housing worsening as urban problem * Consulting engineers say problem cannot be solved without govt help Sunday, December 14, 2003 http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_14-12-2003_pg7_19
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