All public and private TV channels provided adequate coverage to the observance of the Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5. PTV's Portrait and Khiraj-e-Tehseen, both repeat telecasts, were timed well.
Official and private television networks operating in the country and abroad provided excellent coverage to the events connected with the observance of Kashmir Solidarity Day on February 5 in the country and abroad by the people of Pakistan and the Kashmiris living in other countries. However, Pakistan Television seemed to have had an edge over other channels in playing the supportive role to the struggle of the people of Jammu and Kashmir in throwing away the yoke of Indian colonialism.
The Kashmir Solidarity Day is observed every year on February 5 in Pakistan and Azad Jummu and Kashmir to express their support to their brethren living in the Indian occupied state in their struggle for the restitution of their right of self-determination. For the people of Pakistan, repeated expression of solidarity with the oppressed people of the occupied former princely state has great significance. It is a reaffirmation of Pakistan's commitment to provide moral, political and diplomatic support to the cause of the downtrodden Kashmiris, who have been groaning under the yoke of Indian imperialism for more than half a decade.
Pakistan has scrupulously supported the Kashmiris' struggle for freedom during the last 56 years. It has never gone wayward in its support irrespective of the consequences. This year the Government of Pakistan helped the people and Government of Azad Kashmir to have their own independent TV channel, which commenced its telecasts from Muzaffarabad on February 5. The setting up of AJK TV channel was what the people of Kashmir had been waiting for quite a long time.
Special programmes in the form of discussions, documentaries and musical stints, highlighting the long and protracted struggle of the people of Indian occupied Kashmir were telecast by all TV networks, which were educative, especially for the younger generation of the Pakistanis.
Also projected adequately by PTV and other channels was the confessional statement of Dr. A. Q. Khan accepting total responsibility for the unfortunate leakage from the country's well guarded nuclear facilities. The wide coverage included events surrounding the inquiry against Dr. Khan and a few other nuclear scientists and security officials of the KRL vis-a-vis their alleged role in the proliferation of nuclear know-how and technologies, which culminated in the marathon Press Conference addressed by President Pervaiz Musharaff on February 6. The Press Conference addressed by the President was telecast like by all Pakistani channels.
The ARY one World telecast a spirited presentation by its anchor Dr. Shahid Masood. While commenting on the apology tendered, and pardon sought by Dr. Q. Khan, Dr. Masood convincingly narrated a long tale of countless misdeeds of the previous rulers, feudal politicians, industrial robber barons, squanderers of country's wealth and corrupt bureaucrats. He also asked the rulers to tell how many among them ever displayed the moral courage to tender apologies for the crimes they had committed against the people and the country during the past 56 years. So incisive and thoroughly researched was his presentation that it caused a bleeding in many a heart.
On February 7, PTV made two repeat telecasts of its two previously-recorded programmes, one of which revived memories of senior viewers about a large number of country's literati and intellectuals who are no more living in this world. Those who participated in the Portrait of Sufi Ghulam Mustafa Tabassum, poet, author, editor, scholar, intellectual, journalist and teacher, and are no more with us, were Dr. Muhammad Ajmal, Safdar Mir, Mansoor Bukhari, Alice Faiz, Sajjad Haider and Syed Abid Ali. Other (living) participants in the literary Portrait of the late Sufi Tabassum were poets Ahmed Nadeem Qasimi, Shehzad Ahmed and Kishwar Naheed, and industrialist/philanthropist Syed Baber Ali, lawyer/intellectual Ijaz Husian Batalvi, broadcaster Chaudhry Bashir Ahmed, cartoonist Anwar Ali and the late Sufi's brother, daughter and son. But the star of the programmes was Sufi Tabassum himself, who had spoken about his life and achievements and his long stint as a teacher, editor and poet in Persian, Urdu and Punjabi.
Produced by Munezza Hashmi and written by Gulzar Sufi, it was an absorbing programmes, which kept the viewers glued to their seats.
The other repeat obituary telecast, which was both timely and appropriate, was an episode of Khiraj-e-Tehseen that focused on vocalist Malika Pukhraj.
It was recorded only a few months before her death on February 4. Someone wise enough in the hierarchy of PTV management, rightly thought it fit to re-telecast it just four days after the demise of the well-known vocalist, which served as an appropriate tribute to the inveterate folk singer.
Model, film and TV actress Sonu, whose first attempt at establishing her credentials as a good performer had failed a couple of years ago, has managed to stage a comeback in showbiz. She began her career in Faisal Bukhari's serial Paranda, and also performed in the serial Aasman Say Aage.
Currently she is enacting an important role in another serial Qurbani, and is reportedly planning to set up her production company.