There is not the slightest doubt that all the TV channels (PTV and private) had a higher profile of focus and political analysis on the 31st martyrdom anniversary of former prime minister Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, this year.
There were not only newspaper supplements that were published on 4th April (Sunday) in the major dailies across the country, with the theme that "Bhutto lives on", but TV channels had an absorbing, thought-provoking series of programmes, as well as reporting from Garhi Khuda Baksh which is where there was the Quran Khawani, a meeting of the PPP Central Executive Committee, speeches and a massive turnout of people.
The TV channels tried their best to convey the feelings and emotions of the people and the party leaders who had assembled there. Special news reports were telecast - and the decisions of the party, which reflect the country's future direction, vis-a-vis politics and government, have been reported extensively. One is unsure whether there is any assurance that there is good news, atleast in the near future.
Of special value was the telecasting of the speeches that were made by the late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on diverse occasions and for those who have lived through the days when he was prime minister (in the seventies) it was a remembrance of a part of Pakistan's history.
Indeed it was valuable to see his historic speeches all over again and one does wonder what the young Pakistanis of today - that is how do they view the Pakistan they have never lived through. The speech that he made at the United Nations in December 1971, when Dhaka fell, was a sad reminder of what has happened to Pakistan.
The Pakistan TV (Home) in particular had announced in selected dailies a day-long programme for the occasion, and said that to commemorate the day it would "pay homage to his ideals of democracy, social justice, and people's empowerment" by telecasting special programmes.
And these included documentaries, a lecture on the Bhutto trial by Aitzaz Ahsan, special poem, and poetic tribute to Shaheed Bhutto, his last address to the Supreme Court, a youth mushaira, and much more. A look at some of the headlines of the front pages news stories of the 4th of April mirrors the mood of the country on that day.
With reference to the Swiss cases opening there was a "plea for withdrawal of the SC directive", "reopening of Swiss cases will disgrace Bhutto's grave: PPP CEC", "All set for Zardari's address to the joint sitting" "NRO decision mostly implemented: Babar", "PM furious with Babar over AG's resignation," "AJK CJ booted out, finally", "11 killed in Peshawar encounter", and "30 militants, six soldiers die in Orakzai". These provide a fleeting glimpse into what is happening in the country, and which story TV channels are faithfully covering, in depth as well.
Shoaib-Sania-Ayesha: It is all set and sorted out for Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik to wed next week and one can anticipate that the interest of the TV channels in both the countries is going to an unprecedented historic high.
The past one week or more has seen a multidimensional matrimonial muddle - drawn from real life, and despite so much happening in Pakistan, this has been the number one priority with all channels. One cannot remember any one story like this as far as Pakistani channels go, and given the specific features of this glamour story, it is doubtful whether there can be anything like this in the foreseeable future.
The details of the dramatic developments have regularly been breaking news, and the subject has been examined not only from Islamic angles, but there have been discussion also on the Indo-Pakistan relations - and a baffling variety of interpretations with public opinion having taken sides.
There were those who were with Ayesha Siddiqui and her family - arguing angrily that if Shoaib had married her, he should have been man enough to admit it. After all, how has he agreed to finally divorce her. And there were those who did not seek to look at the past, and they were swept off their feet by the charisma and the alluring images of Sania Mirza and a deceptively naïve Shoaib, as he kept ducking from the truth.
There are many deeper sociological and legal questions that this divorce, this romance, the forthcoming marriage has raised. Not just with reference to the three principal characters from the two traumatised families, but with reference to the changing lifestyles in both countries. Some channels called it a Bollywood movie - but once the marriage takes place, and the couple moves to Dubai, reality will step in. For instance where will Shoaib and Sania ultimately reside?
India, Pakistan or eventually a western country, observed a viewer, who was looking at the rocky road that lies ahead of any marriage with the passage of time. For now, TV viewers are struck by the magic of the dreamland of music and colour that TV channels are generally creating.
Doctors versus the media: The incident in which the doctors at the private Jinnah Hospital in Lahore thrashed members of the Lahore media was a subject of discussion and concern on various TV channels. One such panel discussion was on the Express news (Urdu), in the current affairs talk show called Point Blank that is presented by Mubashar Luqman, after the 9pm news, like other talk shows.
The emotional pitch of the absorbing programme was high and the tone of the conversations that emanated from the questions and answers was of exceptional concern, bordering on anger, and anxiety. It mirrored the point about media freedom very well, and raised the questions that are bound to rise as media freedom continues to expand, horizontally and vertically. That this freedom, is welcome, is a point that needs to be underlined - for it is the media and judiciary, that are among the principal players in the social and political change that is taking place in this society.
This show, on Tuesday night, did not go for the obvious political themes, or those relating to the opposing seemingly defiant postures taken by the executive and the judiciary on a variety of serious themes. From the looks of it, next week, the media will be focusing upon some major news stories that are likely to come out from the judiciary.
Right now one major story that has been reported in this regard is that the Federal Law Secretary Justice Mohammed Aqil Mirza (Retd) has gone on 15 days leave. The News has reported that "It is learnt that the government has sent the Law secretary on leave, while delaying the implementation of the Supreme Court's orders on the NRO.
This show did not opt also for the ongoing Ayesha Siddiqui, Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik triangle, which was at a high that night, and came to a different plane when on Wednesday afternoon, came the dramatic and unexpected news of the divorce that Ayesha was able to compel Shoaib to give her. All the denials of the former Pakistan captain that he had not married Ayesha were untrue, to say the least. What sort of a poor reflection is it on the young man, is another point, among the many interpretations, is something that needs to be kept in view.
In fact, the articulate rather agitated Mubashar Luqman responded to a criticism that came from the doctors who said that TV channels invariably picked up such news stories like death and negligence in hospitals that would help improve channels ratings, and commercial returns.
He strongly argued that had TV channels worked like this, he would have focused on many other themes instead of picking up the one about doctors and journalists clashing with each other inside hospitals - and the immediate reference was to the Jinnah Hospital clash that had taken place earlier this month.
But the show had adequate footage of other instances where there was medical inefficiency and negligence in other cities - and there were questions raised about the competence of doctor especially those who had failed to qualify for registration with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council.
The participants included a senior doctor, evidently from the Jinnah Hospital, senior journalist Sarmad Bashir, representing the journalists in Lahore, and two drivers who were with the vehicles that the TV journalists had come with.
It was all to cover the unrest that had arisen due to the medical negligence of the doctors, and after the death of a patient, the affected family and attendants had reacted strongly, to say the least. One does not need to get into the details of the Jinnah hospital here...but the point that the programme sought to investigate was whether the media had a right to report such issues as medical incompetence, as it affects the common man.
Furthermore, it was the black sheep in the medical profession that needs to be exposed, argued the anchor. The doctor on the panel that night, as well as the senior doctor M Sarwar, who spoke on the phone, all contributed towards analysing moderately an issue that has surfaced once again.
The discomfort, and the resentment of commercial organisations, professional and trade bodies at being exposed in the media, for a variety of reasons is likely to be seen more in the coming days - as the media is determined to look at the way in which poor governance, blatant injustice and rampant corruption is humiliating and harassing ordinary people in this society.
Waqar Hasan brings memories: In my channel-surfing on Tuesday, in the midst of all that fascinating focus on the developing, dramatic Sania-Shoaib story, I was able to see a large part of the CNBC Pakistan interview with Waqar Hasan, a former veteran Test cricketer and his young son Abrar Hasan, the Chief Executive Officer of National Foods. It was in the "Kamyaab" series, a programme apparently devoted to success stories drawn from a variety of sectors in Pakistan. It was Waqar Hasan, who had founded the company, which his son manages now.
For those of us who are familiar with the former Test cricketer and the fact that he was a part of the Pakistan team under the captainship of Abdul Hafeez Kardar, the pleasure of watching him on television was especially rewarding. Kardar, "skipper" as he was affectionately known, later became a leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party - and later on was the country's ambassador to Switzerland.
He was also an author of books, on cricket and politics. His son Shahid Kardar is an economist and has been a member of the Punjab cabinet too. Memories of that kind raced through the mind. Waqar Hasan, played Test cricket in the days of the opening pair Hanif Mohammed and Alimuddin; his younger brother was also a test cricketer Parvez Sajjad, who played for many years for the country.
Waqar's elder brother, Iqbal Shahzad, was a noted stalwart of the Pakistan film industry, and I can remember that he was a distinguished sound recordist in the sixties and later on, went on to become a producer, and possibly direct feature films, including that outstanding hit, Badnaam.
That Urdu film had that unforgettable Suraiya Multanikar rendering of Barey Bemurawat hain Yeh Husn Waley. It was an award-winning film, made in 1961-62. Those were the days when Pakistan cinema was strong, as compared to now. All these thoughts and memories came naturally as I watched Waqar Hasan sit almost silently, while his outspoken son Abrar Hasan expressed himself on matters relating to the corporate world.
As part of the programme there were three zabist educated young men, unemployed presumably, who were appearing for an interview for a job before Waqar Hasan and Abrar Hasan. It was the latter who did most of the talking, and his distinguished father did not say a word.
It was so apparent that the father and the son belonged to two different worlds. None of the three seemed to have been acceptable. The CNBC Pakistan anchor said that the CVs of the selected candidates are put on the channel website for employers who may be interested in the graduates.
Following a conventional format, after that, the programme had short interesting interviews of some family members of Waqar Hasan - which included his son, daughters, their spouses and his grandchildren. While the adults described him as strict the children found him very loving and great fun.
His daughter Laiqa Hasan, who runs a beauty salon, also appeared in the studio and spoke on his sustained support to her. Finally I was able to hear Waqar Hasan speak about his success in life, which he attributed not only to luck, but to effort, hard work, concentration, integrity, but above all to the blessings of Almighty Allah.
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