TV THAUGHT: Attacking TV channels means: one image, conflicting signals BB's absorbing interview; Islamabad beautiful, but sad?

Writing this column on Wednesday evening, with the television on, with a channel focusing on a sad theme like cancer, being discussed by a panel of medical experts, does make one a trifle contemplative. The details being focused upon are grim, underlined with individual and family trauma, and perhaps resultant tragedy. There is a great deal of focus on cancer on the channels, and perhaps this is an occasion to say that there is media attention on the health theme. Indeed there is much that the media in a poor society like ours can do, more so when the literacy rate is both a handicap and a source of concern
But this programme Jan Hai To Jahan Hai on Geo is not the only one that I am concentrating on. I am also distracted and quite understandably so, by the news reels that are often shown at the bottom of the screen of numerous programmes. The news items being carried in this manner are at times at complete variance with the programme that is being telecast.
In this case, of the cancer programme there is being reported, let me mention, two news items. One relates to the Saarc summit being called off because the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh refused to come, and the other one relates to cricket. There are other themes too, and they all weigh on the mind, at times heavily.
Not just channel surfing but there is also this aspect of watching television that one is conscious of. One can be watching music or a sports event, or a religious programme, and there will be the newsreel in sharp contrast to the image. At times even the Met office forecast can be a source of distraction. Or petrol prices or the stock exchange index.
By implication, all this means or insinuates the expansion of the media and its role in Pakistani society, a point I have made earlier, and which needs to be kept in mind all the time. As Pakistani society changes, and change it will, the media, print and electronic, will be strong influences in the process, and the outcome. Gone are the days, and thank God for that, the controls on the media are gone.
But that implies that the media, must realise the role that it has to play in the future, that is, in a way, already here. Even where social and cultural values are resistant to change, technology seems to ensure that the hurdles are set aside, easily and effortlessly.
One has been thinking about the role of media in Pakistani society, this week, particularly, because of the attack that took place on the Karachi offices of the Geo TV and the daily Jang. Reports indicated that a number of cars were damaged, so was office property and staff was also beaten up.
A tsunami relief camp was uprooted, and the attackers fled and hurled threats as they left. The incident has been condemned by professional organisations, political parties, leaders, media organisations, including overseas TV channels.
Attacking newspaper offices and rival political parties is something that has been experienced in this society, and we have an unhealthy tradition in this respect.
Reasons behind the attack are stated to be the telecasting of an interview of the Israeli deputy prime minister, and a certain programme called Uljhan Suljhan, which deals with psychological, sociological and personal problems of individuals.
In this case a certain programme, offended the people, and news reports indicate that a students organisation has claimed responsibility for this attack. They have demanded that this TV show should be brought to an end.
One would like to bear in mind here that with time, the signs of violence and impatience are increasing, and so is terrorism, and media focus on all this is obvious, inevitable and as it should be. Perhaps, keeping this in mind, PTV also focused on the media theme, in a current affairs weekly show called "Such To Yeh Hai" which was telecast during the week.
I managed to see some of it, in the channel surfing, I was doing that evening. The general impression that I got (and I could be wrong) was that there was a fair amount of candour and openness in the attitude and expression. One editor of a leading Lahore daily was critical of the government policies and strategies vis-a-vis the media, and it was a welcome surprise to see that the state owned TV was discussing and analysing this theme.
And with realism. There was another editor, of an Urdu daily of Lahore, reminding viewers of the fact that if and when journalists fail in their duties or are unable to come up to the expectations of society, those journalists belong to the same society as do the doctors, engineers, police and customs departments and so on.
One has heard this before in the case of teachers in Pakistani society, especially when they are criticised as a community. That teachers come from this very society, from where come other professionals. A teacher or a lawyer or a journalist or a government servant belong to the same moral plane.
Returning to the point about the attack on a television channel does make one wonder about the kind of scenario that lies ahead. More and more television channels are scheduled to come, and which by implication means that there is going to be that much diversity and dissent in this society. There may also be conflict in the air.
How will Pakistani society take to all that media that is coming? How will the government of the day respond? How will the other institutions respond? How will the media conduct itself being under such social, political and religious pressure? These are some of the questions that need to be answered periodically.
Quite clearly, along with the entertainment that is an attraction on the channels, there is the political content that also is followed with keen interest
One such format is the political interview that private TV channels, as also the PTV have ,and which are also contributing to the political education and culture of society. Newspapers have always carried political interviews, and these have always had large readership.
Some of those who do these political interviews and programmes include Mujahid Barelvi, Kamran Khan, Fahd Hussain, Dr Shahid Masood, Iftikhar Ahmad and Hamid Mir. One of these persons, Iftikhar Ahmad interviewed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, in a popular show called Jawab Deh, which was telecast on Tuesday night. Evidently the interview is in two parts and the second part will be telecast next week.
The interview made one wonder whether, in this series there will come a day when for example, there will be interviews of politicians like Mian Nawaz Sharif and Altaf Hussain, both of whom reside overseas. Presumably, the interview of Benazir Bhutto was recorded in Dubai.
Almost all that was asked of her related to the days when she was the Prime Minister, the first time (1988). Such interviews and others often make one wonder what the average Pakistani has to say about the way in which the country has been governed all these years; in fact ever since the creation of Pakistan. So many disturbing signs and signals seem to surface, and reflect that it has been an imperfect and troubled going since 1947.
One of the questions that Iftikhar Ahmed asked her was about the 1988 elections .He said that Asif Zardari had said that Benazir Bhutto should have stayed out of government in 1988. Benazir, who was willing to answer even the difficult questions, told Iftikhar Ahmad that Asif Zardari had never said that to her. But she said that she has heard this point of view and asked how possibly she could have ignored the mandate of the people.
She talked of the people who had let the Pakistan People's Party down, and deserted it, and in a context where she referred to former President Sardar Farooq Leghari, she expressed her disappointment with him, and called him "badnaseeb", and lacked the stature that he was expected to demonstrate. In her typical style she said that he did not learn from his mistakes, and hoped that there would never be a day when he would return to the fold of the People's Party.
To a question about the tapping of telephones that she had ordered, the former Prime Minister said that instead of gossiping about this issue and such other aspects of governance in Pakistan, it was time that the country did something about it. She recalled that she had initiated work on the role and functioning of intelligence agencies when she was Prime Minister, and said that this "state within a state" context should be discontinued.
The former Prime Minister said that she had not used the expression of Jinnahpur, and that this had come from other official platforms. In another context she remarked that "politics calls for difficult decisions." Yet another quote from her was. "When I was Prime Minister there were people and institutions who tried to restrict me".
Indeed it was an absorbing interview from beginning to end. There was a mention of names like former President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, former Sindh Chief Minister Mumtaz Bhutto and, of course, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, all of which brought back memories of the past, and the recent past. We have lived through some very imperfect days, if that is an appropriate description. And with the media growing there is more of this coming into our lives.
Channel surfing on Tuesday night, enabled me to hear a young female singer render very well that Nasir Kazmi ghazal:
"Nee-yet-e-Shauq Bhar Na Ja-e Kahein
Tu Bhi Dil Sey Utar Na Ja-e Kahein"
Aarzoo Hai Keh Tu Yahan Aa-e
Aur Phir Umar Bhar Na ja-e Kahein
Aur Kuch Dair Ro Hi Lein, Nasir
Phir Yeh Darya Utar Na ja-e Kahein".
I have not reproduced the complete Ghazal, only some couplets. The poet has captured a strange state of mind and heart, and so beautifully.
There is some very good music that is available on the channels, and with all this schedule drawn up for music before Moharram begins next week, music lovers may have good times in the next few days.
PTV's news morning on Wednesday had bureaucrat Kamran Lashari talking of issues that related to the improvement and beautification of the federal capital, Islamabad. That was strange and it made one wonder of how viewers in other parts of the country, like Balochistan and Sindh would respond to all the planning being done for that city.
I am unsure whether there needs to be so much focus on Islamabad keeping in mind that even most of Khabarnama and other reported activities revolve around that city. He described Islamabad as a sad and beautiful city and underlined that he wanted to do something about this. Which, of course, means spending money.
Other cities in the country also need to improve, and be made beautiful. They too have the potential. But is there enough money to be available to all?
Kamran Lashari talked of the street lights and the streets and the serwerage and sanitation that are to be improved, and citizens have be made to feel better. Interestingly, PTV's producer handling this programme did not show any footage to illustrate the point. Instead they showed some of the more pompous images of the nation's capital.
Lashari also promised to ensure that this year's spring time will be eye-catching, heart warming. We live in strange, but interesting times, and eloquent people to talk about how the privileged and the powerful live, at the foot of the hills, which also had snow falling on them this winter. That's Nature.
I want to talk about George Ka Pakistan, but next time. It is absorbing. Let me, as I move towards the end I must mention that Kashmir Day, this year, and the celebrations of Basant seem to overlap. This week end, therefore, there are going to be two themes, and a music conference that has begun in Karachi
I am certain that on Kashmir Day I am going to think about Pakistan-India ties, and what has been the real worth and value of all the political and diplomatic effort made so far. The
Saarc conference has been postponed. Shatrugan Sinha is here for Basant. I am confused, dear reader.