The headlines on the New York Times of Musharraf agreeing to resign as commander in chief struck me with concern over the fate of the press.
Media, under Musharraf, has grown and expanded. The strict censorship that Nawaz Sharif and Benazir Bhutto’s governments, and previous governments had placed over films, television, and the print media was absurd.
Things got looser (figuratively) when Musharraf took over. To some, it was offensive. I mean, was there ever such an outpour of girls lining up at modelling agencies willing to wear plunging necklines and high helms? But then, the media also opened up positively in the sense that every politician was criticized and brought out into the public to give testimony for their corruption.
This same leniency that Musharraf gave to the media in the end, destroyed him. It was this same media, ironically, that has torn apart his image and shown him to be nothing more than a Western puppet. Meanwhile, the same ghoondas who have in the past ruined Pakistan and had a knife to the media’s throat before are all set to return…with this same media’s influence!
Do you think, that if Benazir returns (which she will) and she takes over (which she will; and if not her, then Ganga Sharif), will the media’s powers be shut down? Do you see bannings of private media channels? Do you see bannings of the wild fashion shows and awards ceremonies, and a halt on the film industry that JUST NOW has begun to show some promise.
Under Benazir or Sharif, do you think a movie like Khuda Ke Liye would ever have lasted on the screen?
In my personal opinion, and I could be wrong, freedom of media is largely a one-way street. It can only go one way. With the advent of satellite television, private tv channels, internet and most importantly blogsphere (which is still largely a novelty in Pakistan), it is very unlikely that Benazir/NS or any other "democratic" leader can put the brakes on this process. We are not a one-tv-channel nation any more. Plus some key news media is now based outside Pakistan, and ostensibly outside the direct control of Pakistan's finicky government.
However, the increasing vulgarity on private tv channels is another thing. I don't think it will go away by brute government force. I am just hopeful that enough people will show their disgust towards them that it will be deemed a better business decision for these media outlets to hold back on plunging necklines and the sort.
ofcourse there was. we're all old enough to remember the kind of censorship that used to go on during BB and Nawaz's rule, and most members of the MEDIA acknowledge that its freedom is owed to mush's govt.
no offence intended iconoclast, you used to be a balanced poster. now you're turning into a political propagandist.
All the anti Mushy brigade will yearn for his rule against within 6 months.
Yup credit where credit is due. Despite some unfortunate events recently re the media they cannot take away the fact that it is Musharraf that has given the media freedom like never before seen in the history of Pakistan. When BB and Nawaz were in power all we had was PTV, and when they come back to Pakistan they will come to a country where not only are the people more wealthier than ever before, where great social advances are being made by women, but also where we have had a media revolution. They left a closed country akin to communist dictatorships where people were fed the state line, and they will be coming back to one of the most freest countries in the Islamic world.
The Pakistan of today will be a major culture shock for BB and Nawaz.
People get tired of leaders and want new faces every few years. The problem with Pakistan is that the political parties don't have the internal democracy to allow new faces to emerge....so all we have is the failed faces reappearing whenever a vacuum is created.
People get tired of leaders and want new faces every few years. The problem with Pakistan is that the political parties don't have the internal democracy to allow new faces to emerge....so all we have is the failed faces reappearing whenever a vacuum is created.
Yup, this is an interesting thing actually.
When ppl get tired, it may be natural or understandable. The problem with the outcome though is caused by hypocrisy of the people as well as the leaders as you said. When the parties, leaders fail to deliver, the people want them out, and for that they are never proactive nor decisive, instead the last preceding party informs/reminds for its own interest that the present rulers are bad and they believe them because its imposed trough brilliant mass campaigns, and side with them to oust the present rulers suddenly being amnesic about the very character of the previous who had been ousted in the same way...and the cycle goes on and on...
Lets give a big hand of applause to Musharraf for the freedom of press/media.
I know Musharraf bashers will not admit it, chammar journalists like Ansar Abbasi are not going to admit it but history will recognize the fact that Mushaaraf gave the freedom to Media in Pakistan which was no where to be found in “democratic & political” governments. It was very easy for Musharraf to stricken up the censorship or at least continue the policies of so called democratic governments but he decided otherwise. Give the credit where its due. Musharraf bashers can come up with the same old line “its not possible to restrict media in THESE days….and crap” but I can give you the list of 10s and 10s of countries in TODAYS world where media is strained and I can bet that same will happen to Pakistani media once we have democratic people in charge.
Lot of water has passed under the bridges since Musharraf took over and BB and NS went to exile. NS and BB are not used to such free Media/Press and Judiciary. We all remember what NS and BB did to JANG and other news papers in their ear. NS used to give list to JANG’s management to “fire” the journalists he don’t like and this is just one example.
Having said all this, I really don’t approve vulgarity on private channels and it has nothing to do with freedom of media and press and should not be mixed with it. With girls showing cleavage and doing booty dance every now and then its getting hard to watch the TV with friends and family.
**The ways of censorship
In the past, even supposedly democratic governments have used various means to control the press, through tax cases, withholding newsprint (which is imported through government channels) or pulling out official tenders, notices and advertisements (which the smaller newspapers rely on for revenue). In 1998, when the country’s largest publication house, the Jang Group, tried to break Pakistan Television’s monopoly on news and current affairs by planning a satellite channel, it became clear how far the government would go to stop this. The democratically elected but dictatorially inclined Nawaz Sharif accused the Group of tax evasion, revived old tax cases, and withheld newsprint, forcing the Group to reduce the size of some of its daily papers from twenty-four to eight pages. Sharif’s henchmen personally pressurised the Group’s owner to support the government on various policy issues and fire, or at least sideline, several journalists (this writer included). He refused, but the stand-off ended only after the idea of the satellite channel was quietly dropped. It is only now being revived.
**
An easing of these restrictions have led to the launch… TO READ COMPLETE ARTICLE, CLICK HERE
Yup, this is an interesting thing actually.
When ppl get tired, it may be natural or understandable. The problem with the outcome though is caused by hypocrisy of the people as well as the leaders as you said. When the parties, leaders fail to deliver, the people want them out, and for that they are never proactive nor decisive, instead the last preceding party informs/reminds for its own interest that the present rulers are bad and they believe them because its imposed trough brilliant mass campaigns, and side with them to oust the present rulers suddenly being amnesic about the very character of the previous who had been ousted in the same way...and the cycle goes on and on...
its interesting that you (and most musharraf supporters) acknowledge that the people HAVE got tired of musharraf. Now whatever theorizing you do about why that happens and whats wrong with the people etc, the bottom line is you need to respect the people's wishes instead of imposing your worldview on them. After all, you are one 'person', a part of the people, your views could just as easily be rationalized and dissected unflatteringly.
ofcourse there was. we're all old enough to remember the kind of censorship that used to go on during BB and Nawaz's rule, and most members of the MEDIA acknowledge that its freedom is owed to mush's govt.
no offence intended iconoclast, you used to be a balanced poster. now you're turning into a political propagandist.
Bhaijaan, the current "freedom" is bcoz of multiple satellite channels with out of teh country broadcasting stations. There were no major players in times of BB and NS, but the columnists like they do now, used to highlight corruption of government if they came to know of. Zardari was called Mr 10% "during" BB's regime. Jang had lengthy editorials against Tind Brathraan when they were in power.
And i do not recall if during BB or NS times the broadcasting of channels like BBC was stopped like that has happened Now.
Indeed.