http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2011\08\22\story_22-8-2011_pg3_4
Those sponsoring this murderous madness must know the emerging realities and
stop their ugly tactics that have proved to be counterproductive for the
countrys mental health
Last week marked the death anniversary of
General Ziaul Haq whose martial law rule is known to be the most brutal and
ruthless in Pakistan. It was during his black period that any non-compliance
meant death, prison or lashes. The defiant media elements were specifically
eliminated from professional space through either jails or forced asylums.
General Pervez Musharraf, however, did it much more creatively. Through his
media scheme, he made sure that the establishment he was leading was able to
influence the publics thinking pattern effectively. He furthered his agenda
through unleashing numerous media houses on the urban middle classes. The
numeracy of media was usually attributed to his freeing the media, but it
brought more mayhem and confusion than any positive enlightenment.
It
was in the same devastating phase that untrained, ungroomed, quasi-educated,
non-professional young victims of unemployment, were annointed with the role of
leading public opinion. Most of these youngsters succumbed to the newfound
aerodrome of lucrative power, for want of professional and quality education to
land in the more competitive and professional corporate sector. Discovering the
power of the microphone and the camera in front of them, they also discovered
the pointlessness of acquiring knowledge about the profession, history, politics
and democratic institutional development of the country.
If you are
ignorant, stupidity takes care of your faculties quite well and the sky is the
limit for your progress where your swagger can move mountains and suck up
oceans. This is what has happened with many of todays anchor-mafia, including
this girl introduced by none other than the red-capped Zaid Zaman Hamid, a
maestro and most competent nincompoop continuously chattering in Pakistani media
since the last few years. This girl, rural in mannerism, simple in demeanour and
quite economical in the usage of the brain, used to sit on Zaids side as his
co-host in a TV talk show. Meher Bokhari, very soon, was approved for hosting
a talk show of her own to become a branded puppet.
Trumpeting hawkish
propaganda on just everything happening in Pakistan politics, social issues,
religion, foreign policy, terrorists, defence and security policies she joined
the bandwagon of the establishments media marionettes. It was 2009 when she and
a few other female media persons fell victim to a dirty slanderous campaign
targeting their reported party life. It was Salmaan Taseer who openly came
forward and gave a shut-up call to the propagandists.
A year later, we
saw Ms Bokhari hurling baseless accusations against the same man, Taseer,
repeating endlessly her personal indictment of blasphemy against him in her
programme that ended with her reading out a fatwa (religious edict) against
Taseer putting a seal on his murder as a blasphemer. Upon the protest of some
who matter in the advertisement industry after Taseers assassination, she was
thrown out of Samaa TV where she held this murderous programme. To the utter
shock of every sensitive mind, Dunya TV gladly accepted her and there she was
once again, poisoning the minds of young Pakistanis during prime time.
Human rights activists have been screaming since that day for
appropriate action against her and her ilk in the Pakistani media by the state
or at least by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). No
action by the relevant authorities and not enough noise from the consumer side
has emboldened the Meher-Zaid shades of media to the extent that they now feel
free to shower lies in the truest possible hooliganism that can take human life
and scratch any semblance of truth.
Her programme on August 16, 2011, was
one such vicious pack of lies and overly hyped xenophobic patriotism anchored
on India-hatred more so, Hindu hatred. The programme came in response to Mian
Nawaz Sharifs speech that he made on the Independence Day event organised by
the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) on August 13. In a magnanimous
show of sanity, Sharif came up with some relevant and noteworthy points
regarding India-Pakistan relations. While smartly setting aside the proverbial
Two Nation Theory, Sharif went on to describe the cultural similarities between
the two countries that could be made a strong base for cordial relations between
them.
The speech attracted an expected reactionary hullabaloo from the
hyper halal media, crossing all limits of professional journalism a field Ms
Bokhari knows of as much as Noah knew of computer graphics. Her pack of lies she
calls Crossfire started with a couplet from Iqbal: Mullah ko jo hai Hind mein
sajday ki ijaazat; naadaan samajhta hai ke Islam hai azaad (If the mullah has
the freedom to prostate before God in Hind/India; He is a fool to think that
Islam is free). Only if Ms Bokhari knew that India is one of those few countries
in the world where all Muslim sects are free to follow their religious
injunctions freer than Pakistan for sure.
Subsequent slides carried
the images of migrants in 1947 and then came an unreferenced statement with
Jinnahs picture, saying that the kalima was the only unifying factor for all
the Muslims beyond creed and colour and that the demand for a separate country
for Muslims was made due to the narrow-mindedness of Hindus. The claim is quite
debatable, which many historians from India and Pakistan alongside others have
frequently discussed. The whole programme shows Meher and Zaid taking turns in
irritatingly shouting out nauseating anti-Hindu statements and mocking everyone
who stood for peace between the two countries, including those statements made
by President Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif.
During the programme,
vicious allegations were made against Mian Nawaz Sharif for building his
argument on similarity of our cultures (and thus, as she deduces, rubbishing the
Two Nation Theory, which holds little ground in todays reality anyway). Not
only that, the Meher-Zaid duo displayed a unique shamelessness by attacking
SAFMA as an organisation that they think has been compromising Pakistans
national interest, completely forgetting that SAFMA represents South Asias
most respected and credible journalists with a lifetime of professional work.
What they also forget is the fact that even today Pakistan is inhabited
by more than 700,000 wonderful Hindus who contribute to Pakistans social and
economic development. Their love for Pakistan cannot be measured by the faith
they follow. Similarly, India has a Muslim population more than the entire
population of Pakistan. By still regurgitating such divisive puffery, whose
agenda this yellow journalistic duo is trying to propel, should not be rocket
science. Understandable that many from the mother-of-all-agencies are found
swearing in the chirping drawing rooms of Islamabad these days that the duo (or
at least the red-capped nuisance) has nothing to do with them. But
unfortunately, all circumstantial indications suggest otherwise.
Who are
the forces that do not want sustainable peace between India and Pakistan? Who
does not want Pakistanis to come out of the hatred that has generated money and
resources for them? Who is scared of politicians wielding popular support for
the resolution of the ages old self-created animosity with its neighbours? Who
fears public consciousness for non-violence and peace? Who would not like the
people to stand up for their own basic rights rather than sticking to irrelevant
and unintelligible theories that have sucked the national psyche to a point of
no return? The answers to all these questions point to a very uncomfortable
direction. Those sponsoring this murderous madness must know the emerging
realities and stop their ugly tactics that have proved to be counterproductive
for the countrys mental health.
SAFMA and indeed all professional
journalists must not leave this vicious pair scot-free this time. Ms Bokhari has
contributed to the murder of Salmaan Taseer; she is capable of much more
devastation with the patronage of her underwriters. Not only that the TV channel
should immediately get rid of the insanity it has allowed in the shape of Ms
Bokhari, this woman needs to be tried for inciting violence, libel and in fact,
murder. Lets not cede our space to them.
Those sponsoring this murderous madness must know the emerging realities and
stop their ugly tactics that have proved to be counterproductive for the
countrys mental health
Last week marked the death anniversary of
General Ziaul Haq whose martial law rule is known to be the most brutal and
ruthless in Pakistan. It was during his black period that any non-compliance
meant death, prison or lashes. The defiant media elements were specifically
eliminated from professional space through either jails or forced asylums.
General Pervez Musharraf, however, did it much more creatively. Through his
media scheme, he made sure that the establishment he was leading was able to
influence the publics thinking pattern effectively. He furthered his agenda
through unleashing numerous media houses on the urban middle classes. The
numeracy of media was usually attributed to his freeing the media, but it
brought more mayhem and confusion than any positive enlightenment.
It
was in the same devastating phase that untrained, ungroomed, quasi-educated,
non-professional young victims of unemployment, were annointed with the role of
leading public opinion. Most of these youngsters succumbed to the newfound
aerodrome of lucrative power, for want of professional and quality education to
land in the more competitive and professional corporate sector. Discovering the
power of the microphone and the camera in front of them, they also discovered
the pointlessness of acquiring knowledge about the profession, history, politics
and democratic institutional development of the country.
If you are
ignorant, stupidity takes care of your faculties quite well and the sky is the
limit for your progress where your swagger can move mountains and suck up
oceans. This is what has happened with many of todays anchor-mafia, including
this girl introduced by none other than the red-capped Zaid Zaman Hamid, a
maestro and most competent nincompoop continuously chattering in Pakistani media
since the last few years. This girl, rural in mannerism, simple in demeanour and
quite economical in the usage of the brain, used to sit on Zaids side as his
co-host in a TV talk show. Meher Bokhari, very soon, was approved for hosting
a talk show of her own to become a branded puppet.
Trumpeting hawkish
propaganda on just everything happening in Pakistan politics, social issues,
religion, foreign policy, terrorists, defence and security policies she joined
the bandwagon of the establishments media marionettes. It was 2009 when she and
a few other female media persons fell victim to a dirty slanderous campaign
targeting their reported party life. It was Salmaan Taseer who openly came
forward and gave a shut-up call to the propagandists.
A year later, we
saw Ms Bokhari hurling baseless accusations against the same man, Taseer,
repeating endlessly her personal indictment of blasphemy against him in her
programme that ended with her reading out a fatwa (religious edict) against
Taseer putting a seal on his murder as a blasphemer. Upon the protest of some
who matter in the advertisement industry after Taseers assassination, she was
thrown out of Samaa TV where she held this murderous programme. To the utter
shock of every sensitive mind, Dunya TV gladly accepted her and there she was
once again, poisoning the minds of young Pakistanis during prime time.
Human rights activists have been screaming since that day for
appropriate action against her and her ilk in the Pakistani media by the state
or at least by the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA). No
action by the relevant authorities and not enough noise from the consumer side
has emboldened the Meher-Zaid shades of media to the extent that they now feel
free to shower lies in the truest possible hooliganism that can take human life
and scratch any semblance of truth.
Her programme on August 16, 2011, was
one such vicious pack of lies and overly hyped xenophobic patriotism anchored
on India-hatred more so, Hindu hatred. The programme came in response to Mian
Nawaz Sharifs speech that he made on the Independence Day event organised by
the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) on August 13. In a magnanimous
show of sanity, Sharif came up with some relevant and noteworthy points
regarding India-Pakistan relations. While smartly setting aside the proverbial
Two Nation Theory, Sharif went on to describe the cultural similarities between
the two countries that could be made a strong base for cordial relations between
them.
The speech attracted an expected reactionary hullabaloo from the
hyper halal media, crossing all limits of professional journalism a field Ms
Bokhari knows of as much as Noah knew of computer graphics. Her pack of lies she
calls Crossfire started with a couplet from Iqbal: Mullah ko jo hai Hind mein
sajday ki ijaazat; naadaan samajhta hai ke Islam hai azaad (If the mullah has
the freedom to prostate before God in Hind/India; He is a fool to think that
Islam is free). Only if Ms Bokhari knew that India is one of those few countries
in the world where all Muslim sects are free to follow their religious
injunctions freer than Pakistan for sure.
Subsequent slides carried
the images of migrants in 1947 and then came an unreferenced statement with
Jinnahs picture, saying that the kalima was the only unifying factor for all
the Muslims beyond creed and colour and that the demand for a separate country
for Muslims was made due to the narrow-mindedness of Hindus. The claim is quite
debatable, which many historians from India and Pakistan alongside others have
frequently discussed. The whole programme shows Meher and Zaid taking turns in
irritatingly shouting out nauseating anti-Hindu statements and mocking everyone
who stood for peace between the two countries, including those statements made
by President Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif.
During the programme,
vicious allegations were made against Mian Nawaz Sharif for building his
argument on similarity of our cultures (and thus, as she deduces, rubbishing the
Two Nation Theory, which holds little ground in todays reality anyway). Not
only that, the Meher-Zaid duo displayed a unique shamelessness by attacking
SAFMA as an organisation that they think has been compromising Pakistans
national interest, completely forgetting that SAFMA represents South Asias
most respected and credible journalists with a lifetime of professional work.
What they also forget is the fact that even today Pakistan is inhabited
by more than 700,000 wonderful Hindus who contribute to Pakistans social and
economic development. Their love for Pakistan cannot be measured by the faith
they follow. Similarly, India has a Muslim population more than the entire
population of Pakistan. By still regurgitating such divisive puffery, whose
agenda this yellow journalistic duo is trying to propel, should not be rocket
science. Understandable that many from the mother-of-all-agencies are found
swearing in the chirping drawing rooms of Islamabad these days that the duo (or
at least the red-capped nuisance) has nothing to do with them. But
unfortunately, all circumstantial indications suggest otherwise.
Who are
the forces that do not want sustainable peace between India and Pakistan? Who
does not want Pakistanis to come out of the hatred that has generated money and
resources for them? Who is scared of politicians wielding popular support for
the resolution of the ages old self-created animosity with its neighbours? Who
fears public consciousness for non-violence and peace? Who would not like the
people to stand up for their own basic rights rather than sticking to irrelevant
and unintelligible theories that have sucked the national psyche to a point of
no return? The answers to all these questions point to a very uncomfortable
direction. Those sponsoring this murderous madness must know the emerging
realities and stop their ugly tactics that have proved to be counterproductive
for the countrys mental health.
SAFMA and indeed all professional
journalists must not leave this vicious pair scot-free this time. Ms Bokhari has
contributed to the murder of Salmaan Taseer; she is capable of much more
devastation with the patronage of her underwriters. Not only that the TV channel
should immediately get rid of the insanity it has allowed in the shape of Ms
Bokhari, this woman needs to be tried for inciting violence, libel and in fact,
murder. Lets not cede our space to them.
