A reader has referred to news coverage of a TV channel. He is angry over coverage of a injured dying women when the PV Presenter was criticizing Government’s alleged slow response to rescue while their TV team did arrive. The reader questions if the TV Presenter Talat Hussain and his Team can trek to places where Government medical relief had not reached, why could they not take along a medical team or some first aid materials. He is angry that the TV team was not reporting from a war front of a foreign country.
The fact is the response to this national calamity is not that humane as is being portrayed. No doubt people have donated generously and every one has contributed but it is also a fact that generally we as a responsible nation have almost failed. About 10 years back a question on TV was asked to Air Marshal ® Noor Khan that there was high inflation and poverty. His reply was who says there was poverty, see the markets and modern food shops like ever always filled with customers. In this greave days can one say that there came any difference of daily life in Pakistan? A provincial Minister allegedly married his son with usual glare. While there are no spirits and bandages for thousands, one elected representative went to Europe for medical treatment on government expense. About three parliamentary groups have gone on foreign tours while this money is needed here for the victims. All our bureaucrats and minister can be seen in crisp suits visiting affected areas. Announcers of all these TV channels which are not tired of telling us that their Channel has done a marvelous human cause, appear in nice fancy dresses which tell the real fact that these people have practically no grief. Food streets, Burger outlet and Bara markets in Karachi and Lahore are as usual brisking. TV channels have encashed the occasion. Each one is trying to convince that its team was the first to reach Muzaffarabad, Bagh, Neelam. Each one is criticizing that its team reached while army had not. I have worked for 22 years abroad in uniform in a paramilitary organization. Movement of Military is not just like channel team taking a camera, a recording machines and a hand bag of supporting items. Army needs some time under universal discipline to arrange movement orders, chalk out programme, which side who to go, requisition, collection and movement of logistics. An army man on rescue operation is not going just with his gun and rack suck. In addition to his usual kit he also is to carry an extra 30-40 kgs rescue tools and relief material. Viewing Geo and ARY Oneworld channels minutely, it would be observed these channels under some planning are doing PR work. ARY will 50 times a day say MQM Medical team was the first to reach. place. GEO will say Memon Association Doctors were the first to reach. One says students from Peshawar University were the first to arrive. And so on. Whole the day we hear on these channels one hears “on instruction from Mohtrma Benazir all our workers have done this and contributed this”. After 5 minutes we hear “Altaf Bhai instructed this or on instruction from Nawaz Sharif party collected and donated this and that”. It appears every one is more concentrated ensuring to make a record for future politics everything was done by this party or that party on political reasoning and not on humanitarian reasons. One channel is promoting MQM the other day and night is promoting a MKR society. A foreign rescuer well quoted in his write up that he did not see any “Mujahid-e-Kashmir” or his brave son or his followers on any site.