PESHAWAR: Mainstream print and electronic media or fourth pillar of the state like other three has failed to respond to the Parachinar twin bombing tragedy like it has highlighted the Bahawalpur tragedy.

“Is our blood different than those killed in Bahawalpur tragedy,” asked Dr Mujhahid Hussain while talking to Dawn by phone from the sit-in staged in Parachinar where people are out on the streets to demand for their basic right to life but none of the civil military leadership has visited the area despite repeated demands.

Whether it is Quetta, Peshawar or Parachinar terrorist bombings have wrecked people’s lives. These people deserve an explanation from the state, which failed to protect them. But their voices die down as national print and electronic media doesn’t give voice to the people living in a geo-politically sensitive place out of no fault of their own.

Those, who speak up, are tagged very easily as ‘traitors’ and those reporting it can get into trouble too. However, the social media is giving voice to the people of Fata now emerging as ‘sons of the lesser god’. The people of tribal areas have since long been dehumanised as people living on a border area called “Ilaqa-Ghair’ or “land of the unrelated”.

Despite being a hottest topic for Pakhtun population for about a week now, the print and electronic media has failed to see the tragic event is not a sectarian but a humanitarian issue yet there is no analysis or in-depth reports on it in national print media.

A local reporter, who also lost two family members in the Parachinar blast, shying away from criticising media, just said that slowly the sit-in was coming in media’s focus but did acknowledge that locals were upset and even attacked local press club for not letting the world hear their voice and see the agony they were going through. The reporter says they were right to feel angry as their voice was not being heard.

It is true each print and electronic media house has its own policies regarding sending its teams and reporters to cover a certain news-worthy event or incident. An award-winning print media reporter during a talk show said: “One cannot go to Parachinar without permission.” Giving this as the reason, they (journalists) have not gone there seemed a lame excuse. Mind it the same reporter has been awarded for standing up for freedom of media.

Whether permission for journalists is required or not to visit Parachinar many Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad based journalists, used to helicopters seem to have lost touch with ground realities.

Bitter reality is that journalists used to embedded journalism find excuses for not covering Parachinar tragedy as they have forgotten about independent reporting.

Many media houses have correspondents based in tribal areas who send in reports but whether their reports are aired in print and electronic media is way out of their control.

The state-run or official media was also seen engrossed in softer things in life during Eid telecast. There is a huge difference in coverage of telecasting causes of the tragedies of Parachinar and Bahawalpur.

To add insult to injury, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who landed home after Bahawalpur tragedy, did not bother to visit Parachinar that was bombed brutally almost a week ago. The way he quantified the value of lives in Punjab province and tribal areas -- both ruled directly by his PML-N government -- is humiliating.

“There seems to be two laws in the country. The blood of Punjabi and a tribesman is of different value,” said Jamil Hussain Turi while talking to Dawn by phone.

The prime minister had announced first Rs2 million for the dead, Rs1 million for the injured and even jobs to the children of the victims of Bahawalpur tragedy but after a week went on to announce Rs1 million for the dead, Rs500,000 for the injured in the Parachinar terrorist attack on last Friday.

The rate of human life in Punjab province and tribal areas has a huge difference, no matter what may be the reason of death. This is official acknowledgement of children of a lesser god, of lesser importance hailing from a certain ethnic/religious groups and certain geographical areas.

The prime minister announced special package for the victims of Bahawalpur tragedy but not for those of a federal area. One wonders if he has ever announced a special package for terrorist victims of areas other than Punjab — the feeling is growing.

Speaking of finances, there is no update on what happened to the funding on matters pertaining to National Action Plan in Fata. With authority comes responsibility and those authorised to provide security in Fata including places like Parachinar should be held responsible for failing to protect lives.

For a journalist, it is a risky job to find answers to such questions. It is only when the establishment itself by foolish acts of commission and omissions gives rise itself to perceptions of sectarian and/or ethnic and/or geographic prejudices.

When neutral observers take the courage to raise such issues, the government, establishment and their proxies are quick to raise hue and cry: “This is against national interest”. And those raising the issue are blamed of doing it at the behest of enemies of the state.

The real issue is lost. If the victims are further ignored and they stop believing in their leaders and country, it is only then when the real enemy wins.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2017