Sad Celebaration

By - Kashif Sarmad

 Its 2013, we (Pakistanis) started new year with the callous usage of firearm. In which, more then 18 people have been wounded and two killed so far and still counting. Among injured, there is 1 year and 3 year old kids. I am unable to describe this nuisance a celebration. 

One friend of mine invited me for the private party for New Year which had setting up of drinking and dancing to welcome new day of New Year. I apologized and informed him about my unavailability.

I was going all the way through the statistics of terrorism activities and counting the numbers of victims of violent act by TTP and other terrorist groups in Pakistan. I ferret out that more then two thousand two hundred people have been victim of terrorist activities in 2012 in Karachi only. I am extremely cautious regarding mentioning this numeral but I am convinced that more then three thousand people have been executed and thousands injured by the terrorist activities in Pakistan. It despondently portrays that, due to terrorism approximately eight people get killed each day. 

Pakistan is sixty five years old at the present but law enforcement agencies and political parties are still acting like infant. Law enforcement agencies have become politicized and politicians have become depoliticized and due to that not only TTP but other terrorist organizations took absolute advantage of that undeveloped demeanor of government and it took thousands of precious lives of the citizens of Pakistan. 

Besides that, In India people didn’t celebrate New Year in the protest for un-identified 23 year old girl and now deceased rape victim. Ironically, in Pakistan more then three thousand deaths of innocent people couldn’t intrude on our carnival for New Year.   

It is high-time for all of us to wake-up and scuffle against those who desire to damage our motherland in anyway, whether they belong to any political arena, religious fanatics or any terrorist organizations. As Pakistani, we all ought to help either financially or morally to people who are sufferers of terrorism or poverty. That would be far superior celebration and service to this beloved country then firearm or arranging alcohol for New Year festivity. We shouldn’t hang back and wait for any transformation but we should transport this change to Pakistan.

What news are we following?

                                                             (By - Kashif Sarmad)


Pakistan’s media has played vital role in enlightening people and due to flood of information people have come to know about their constitutional rights as the citizen of Pakistan. But here, when there is the positive approach hovering in the minds of optimists regarding media’s role in the same way most of the people has accepted wisdom about the negativity of media about their sensational news which harms the frame of mind of the people in every way.

 TV programmes like crime stories and anti- social outburst stories have been played by the media houses so shoddily that the reliance of the people with their own inhabitants is diminishing. If you will watch these programmes intimately you will apprehend that this category matches to the Jerry Springer show where social issues get dramatized.

 I was watching the dramatized crime story in which the little girl raped by her own uncle. Suddenly, my cousin who is 12 years old asked me what victim’s uncle has done to her? I was unable to say anything because she was too young to know that knotty and thorny crime.

 It is well said by the Steven Stark that “Today’s journalism is obsessed with the kinds of things that tend to preoccupy thirteen-year-old boys: sports, sex, crime, and narcissism. (Atlantic Monthly, Sep. 1994)

 I have witnessed that each media house is taking at least three different programmes on crime re-enactment every week. What significance are we giving to our young generation or coming generation? I have also observed that these kinds of low level programmes cannot be digested by the nation which has not more then 30 percent literacy rate.

What going to happen when these programmes puts downbeat and negative impact on the viewers who doesn’t have acquaintance with the media ethics or even their own rights. I believe that, if we will analyze methodically we will be able to see that these programmes haven’t curtailed the crime ratio though it has been increased day by day. The fear of law, religious and social responsibilities are decreasing day by day and the cause would be the too much of something is horrific.

As Janet Malcom said “Every journalist who is not too stupid or too full of himself to notice what is going on knows that what he does is morally indefensible. He is a kind of confidence man, preying on people's vanity, ignorance, or loneliness, gaining their trust and betraying them without remorse” (the Journalist and the Murderer)

The media houses and their owners should keep in mind the social and other responsibilities before on-air any social based programmes. Instead of keeping in mind the ratings and greed of getting advertisements, Journalists and owners of the news channels should play their adequate role to change the society without drama and sensational approach towards any issue.

Media is the best representative of the people and always works for the people. It shouldn’t work against the people in any way. Media can play its role in developing the society and it should expose the culprits which harms the society by any mean. Media has to decide whether they are doing job in public interest or their own interest and who is holding their rope to dismantle this society which can be useful for not only this region but for the world as well.

I would recapitulate the topic with the brilliant words of the Bob Woodward that, “I think journalism gets measured by the quality of information it presents, not the drama or the pyrotechnics associated with us”.