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EVEN though it is approaching seven decades of independence, it seems that Pakistan remains connected with the former colonial power in inseparable ways.
Over the years, many of the country’s politicians and political activists of different stripes have taken refuge in London, and not only during the days of military rule in Pakistan. For several months now, MQM politicians, including Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain, have been facing inquiries by the Metropolitan Police.
The tone and tenor of the MQM leader of late has reflected the heat he is facing in London at the hands of the Met, while nervous party cadres, especially those alleged to have links to militancy, are being hunted down by the Rangers back in the stronghold of Karachi where once the party’s power and pre-eminence was without parallel.
Had the MQM relied solely on electoral support and galvanised the latter by delivering to its support base over the years that it remained unchallenged it would have been a much happier entity today. But its reliance on militant wings and violence is now coming back to haunt it as the current crackdown, that included a raid on the party headquarters on Friday, has demonstrated.
Another politician said to be feeling the heat of the army-led campaign in Sindh may have preferred the comfort of his Dubai home rather than his usual London haunt, reportedly a huge suite in a hotel which, sources say, he owns, but his key party figures/business associates continue to flock to the British capital.
PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari and his son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have vacated their well-appointed suites at the Radisson for their Dubai and Karachi homes respectively, but I am told that key party leader and Zardari’s sister Faryal Talpur was in London.
One point of view is that sane journalism creates its own audience and it is up to the media practitioners to ensure they play their leadership role.
The PPP leader’s key business associate, some say close friend and guru, Anwar Majeed was also in the British capital when the Pakistani media was reporting a raid by the Rangers at the latter’s Karachi home. Denying Majeed’s home had been raided, a source close to him explained that the paramilitary soldiers never entered his house.
“They knew well he was away in London. There was never any raid. The story was given to the media as part of the psy-ops just to press home the point how vulnerable Sindh’s political leadership is and how it can be humiliated,” he added.
I don’t know what the state of relations between Asif Ali Zardari and his younger brother Owais Muzaffar, better known as Tappi, is and whether the current Rangers’ operation extends to making all of Zardari’s family and associates uncomfortable. But a relaxed Tappi was seen dining to his heart’s content at Ravi, the Drummond Street haunt of Pakistanis in London needing a quick fix of home food. He shared a sumptuous meal with three friends (possibly business associates) before being driven away in a Mercedes limousine, followed by another friend in a Bentley.
This was a couple of weeks ago when the operation was in full swing and Asif Zardari had already lashed out at the military (his party subsequently denied the leader’s words were meant for the current khaki leadership). But at no time did Tappi appear concerned or worried about developments at home. One can vouch for there being no apparent loss of appetite.
The PPP’s former Sindh minister and Hakim Ali Zardari’s adopted son may not have had cause to complain about London but a Pakistani star TV presenter, married to a former cricketing star and a politician whose political fortunes fluctuate with each of his (political) statements and decisions, had a major bone to pick with a London newspaper.
When the Daily Mail, which broke the news of Imran Khan’s (then forthcoming) wedding to the glamorous UK-Pakistan TV presenter Reham Khan, questioned her postgraduate educational qualifications in ‘broadcast media’, Ms Khan rubbished the paper’s claim.
Had she stopped there it would have been fine (for me at least as I admire her presenter’s skills on TV and have no reason to doubt her integrity). But then she proceeded to hint it was a conspiracy to divert attention away from the travails of (without naming him) the MQM leader Altaf Hussain. “… What else is happening in the UK?” were her words on Twitter.
As if on cue, a Twitter handle identified closely with the PTI social media team then proceeded to make an utter fool of itself by suggesting that this was a British security services response (in support of their ‘asset’) to the PTI’s letter to the British authorities asking them to check Altaf Hussain’s activities including allegedly inciting violence against Pakistan’s security agencies.
While one finds such suggestions outrageous, they are even worthless in terms of providing comic relief in an otherwise grim world where people die in want and poverty in huge numbers. Meanwhile, one of our leading channels chased the vehicle carrying a model who has just been bailed out after several weeks in prison. She was arrested with half a million dollars in cash at the capital’s airport and is facing charges related to currency smuggling.
When the pointless chase through the streets and roads of Rawalpindi expectedly produced nothing, the channel felt compelled to cut away. Some in the media defend such ‘news’ coverage as being driven by audience demand. The other point of view is that sane journalism creates its own audience and it is up to the media practitioners to ensure they play their leadership role.
What do you think? Have bad media practices corrupted the audience or has the audience’s appetite for gutter journalism delivered such content because it rejected that which conformed to an old-fashioned or balanced and decent output view?
If your response is ‘who cares’, I will only agree with you. Eid Mubarak.
The writer is a former editor of Dawn.
Published in Dawn, July 18th, 2015
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