TV THOUGHTS: The whispers, rumours, stories in Islamabad; resign, safe passage, or fight to finish?

What are the whispers and the rumours and the stories doing the rounds in Islamabad as the month of March moves on? What is all that talk of political stability and the large scale changes that are impending? What is in the heart and mind of President Asif Ali Zardari, given the assumption that he has opened too many fronts for confrontation - and the interpretation that he may well be contemplating themes like "a safe exit or a safe passage" for himself.
Will he resign? Or will he fight it out the till the end, so that there is political mileage both for himself and the Pakistan People's Party? These were some of the questions that Dr Shahid Masood was discussing in a couple of his programmes in the Merey Mutabiq news show which is being telecast from an "unknown destination". The audio quality of the show is very challenging for listeners at times.
In his recent programmes he talked to ISI chief Lieutenant General Hameed Gul (Retd), Shaheen Sehbai, Group editor, The News, Islamabad political correspondent The News, Saleh Zafir, and Hamid Mir of Capital Talk (Geo) on themes like those mentioned above, and many of the questions and answers revolved on what lies ahead for the nation in the near future. Or in March to be precise, as the government does not appear to be in a mood to do as has been directed by the country's superior judiciary.
In his programme on 8th March, (a day before it was the third anniversary of the day (9th March) when the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry courageously refused to resign as had been asked by the military dictator Pervez Musharraf, who pompously sat in his office, in Army House, Rawalpindi, along with his military colleagues). Dr Shahid Masood talked to Hamid Mir on whether democracy was at stake in Pakistan.
This is what has been a major recurring theme on all the channels. Infact, what is being stressed by all and sundry, is that in all this confrontation that is taking place, democracy must be protected, upheld, and it should be ensured that the country does not move in the direction of another martial law. Sometimes, this is said directly and sometimes indirectly.
In the dialogue between Dr Masood and Hamid Mir, the latter observed that the lingering uncertainty over the naming of the NWFP as Pakhtoonkhwa and the possibility that there could be a conflict between the ANP and the MQM in Sindh were being talked about in political circles.
And not only in political circles but in real life also there are so many stories - and these include the fact that the ISI chief Lieutenant General Shuja Pasha has been given a year's extension, the Superior court judges have been given a hefty pay and allowances raise, the constitutional reforms package is coming by this month's end, and the mess that the Pakistan Cricket Board continues to create, as if by some far-sighted design?
Lahore bomb blast: The attack on the Lahore offices of the Special Intelligence Agency in Model Town, essentially a residential, area on Monday morning (March 8) was another cruel and telling reminder not only of the fact that terrorism remains a formidable challenge for the Pakistani people, as well as the law enforcing agencies, but also that the vulnerability of ordinary citizens is growing.
This was a subject that was discussed in the news and current affairs programmes that day, once again, with demands being raised that all possible terrorist targets should be moved out of the residential areas as early as possible. In several instances of terrorist attacks on various government offices, especially those that housed law enforcing agencies or intelligence organisations of even military establishments, the residential areas have been hit as well, as a consequence.
Collateral damage of a kind, which has brought about an awareness in the public now, that there is an urgent need to review the emerging risky situation. This was reflected very sharply this time after the Lahore blast that killed about 15 people and injured about 100.
According to one report "the explosion completely destroyed the building of the SIU and damaged scores of houses and dozens of cars and motorbikes in the neighbourhood". It is this neighbourhood factor that is being discussed both in society and in the media.
I was able to see a large part of the talk show Live With Talat (Aaj News) that very night, in which Talat Hussain guests included the Inspector general Police Islamabad Kaleem Imam, Masood Sharif Khattak, a familiar, former senior bureaucrat, and Mansoor Anwar Khan (I hope I have his name right).
It was a very absorbing discussion, and it very emphatically underlined the questions that have re-emerged with this recent devastating car bomb blast, that has sent shock waves throughout the country. I also perceive the fear of the ordinary citizen as he has begun to comprehend the risks.
One very obvious outcome of this Lahore blast, it needs to be said was that the residents of Model Town, a very well known residential locality, have come up with the firm demand that all the 12-15 offices of various law enforcing agencies that are currently functioning in Model Town, should be shifted to some other places. The above mentioned programme went into the practical difficulties that would arise if this kind of shifting was to be done on a countrywide basis.
A leading question that arose was about how difficult, if not altogether impossible, it was to determine where a terrorists would strike, under their constantly changing escalating nature of targets. Of course, it was vital to keep in mind the limitations of the law enforcing agencies when it came to suicide bombers in particular.
How challenging it was to know when and where a suicide bomber would strike, especially in view of the fact that terrorists were targeting not just military targets, but also places like schools, hospitals, bazaars, and so on. How much preparedness and predictability was possible? This was the kind of approach that was evident in this talk show.
It is relevant to mention here that for instance, in the case of Islamabad, the fact that foreign embassies, and offices of international organisations or UN agencies are located in residential areas, and this has been a subject of growing concern ever since terrorism has targeted the federal capital in recent years.
The practical problems, including that of financial resources, in shifting these embassies etc have been impediments in any real progress. Infact, with themes like that of Blackwater and other similar foreign security organisations that have now come into Pakistan, the subject of security and safety of many neighbourhoods in the country has been focused upon with anxiety.
And the reality of it all is that as long as the war against terrorism is on, these and other such organisations ( known and unknown) are not going to be moving out of the country. If anything, the possibility is that they will continue to steadily increase in number, and the residential areas are likely to be vulnerable targets - regardless of the security measures that are taken?
Women's day: While it is so welcome that the frustration, humiliation and the harassment that urban, rural and tribal women face in Pakistan is focused upon sharply when it comes to the Women's Day, on March 8, every year, then the disappointing aspect is that most of the participants that appear in the various talk shows are stereotyped, successful women (even some men participate in these programmes), with whom the viewers are familiar.
That is to suggest that the TV programmes are produced with a rather hackneyed, pedantic approach and women, who are interviewed or those who come as discussants, are those that the TV viewers have heard again and again. Often the women repeat themselves and their success stories of how they have struggled against the odds in a male-dominated society are also familiar that it is best to switch channels Surely there are numerous Pakistani women in our lives who would have absolutely new and fascinating stories to reveal.
Original stories that are waiting to be told, provided the TV producers can think on those lines. And this applies not just to Women's Day but to so many other days that our TV channels have begun concentrating upon. I wonder whether there are such days that are relevant and centered around South Asia more - than on the Western world with which Pakistan does not have the bonding that we imagine exists.
Kashmala Tariq: It was by surprise that while channel surfing on March 9, I was able to hear the views of PML-Q's Information secretary Kashmala Tariq, MNA she expressed during her interview (On Waqt news) with the young presenter Yashfeen Zafeer, in the morning programme.
This young woman is modest in her approach and seems to have done her homework well, as she asks serious pertinent questions - and does not rely on feminine charm, which is what some presenters of morning shows appear o be doing. The simplicity of attire with she appears at times is so noticeable, and elegant!
Kashmala Tariq wearing a traditional dark grey shalwar kameez, a lawyer by profession, was very vocal in her criticism of what the present government has done in its first two years. In another context she reminded that in a recent CNN report she had heard Pakistan being referred to as one of the five most dangerous countries in the world.
Which made one contemplate about when was it the last time that the foreign media had said anything positive about the Islamic republic or when did viewers hear an interpretation that was favourable about what was happening in the country. I am not referring to the government spokesman on this subject, who are on air every day. I have credibility in mind.
While she sounded very optimistic about the future role of the young people in this country, she was very vehement that there was a need to advise and motivate Pakistani women to be economically more productive than what they are today. The conversation moved to former military dictator Parvez Musharraf about whom there are repeated references on whether he will return to Pakistan in the near future, and that has he positioned himself in Dubai so that he is located closer to Pakistan.
To this Kashmala said firmly that there was no chance of his joining the PML-Q, whose chief was Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. To another question from Yashfeen, she said that by all means Musharraf should be brought back, and be subjected to accountability. Why doesn't the Opposition try him under Article 6 of the Constitution? She said very plainly. She categorically said that she had no contact with the former President now.
Omar Sharif show The Omar Sharif show this week had two guests - Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Parvez Ashraf and the show biz celebrity Meera. And it was an usual show - in which the creativity and the talent of Omar Sharif were once again on grand display.
The show was very entertaining all the way, especially the part where it pertained to the Minister. The best part about the Minister was that he was not there. He was invisible, as Omar Sharif put it and therefore he carried on a dialogue about loadshedding and erratic unreliable power supplies, in which it was implied that Raja Parvez Ashraf was probably making Omar Sharif physically uncomfortable.
The funny conversation between Meera and Omar Sharif was absorbing, as she was generally unwilling to talk on the themes that he was referring to, and was acting coy, using that as a ploy to sit through the show! Given all the political environment that is there on the channels, light hearted shows like this one bring recreation and relief to family audiences, I suppose. And unlike some others, they are not stupid.
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