The following news was present in all newspapers owned by the Mir Khalil-ur-Rehman Foundation: Jang, The News, etc.
This same piece of news was reported as “Breaking News” four times on Geo during the period of 8 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. They never report breaking news twice but this was reported FOUR TIMES!
Now look at this (from the same Jang website):
Such responsible journalism, isn’t it? The most popular “people’s” channel in Pakistan issued a piece of news that can very well shake the already tumbling economy of Pakistan, without verification? Why do they want to instill into the mind of the Pakistani public the image of a Musharraf-less Pakistan? Why are they trying to deliberately “create” pressure to force Musharraf to resign?
Why are all channels trying to defame only Musharraf? If I know my history right, Nawaz Sharif and Zardari deserve much worse. But nobody dares ask them about anything they did in the past!
Why doesn’t any journalist stand up to them and question their hypocritical statements about democracy, or the judiciary in Nawaz’s case? Why don’t the self-righteous journalists, lawyers or analysts stand up for what is right? Why have they forgotten what the dreadful democratic decade of the 90s did to Pakistan? If they want to condemn Musharraf for being bad, why are they trying to make Zardari and Nawaz look like angels?
We constantly complain about Musharraf’s alleged, unproven, assets but fail to explain how Zardari, a local feudal, managed to accumulate 1.5 billion dollars or Nawaz Sharif, the son of a local blacksmith, managed to build an estate like Raiwind?
If the media had not made these people look like heroes and worked on educating the masses, we could have had something different today. But thanks to their irresponsible and hypocritical attitude, we are going back to where we came from: level zero.
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Dear Ali
What a good post. I fully agree with you – the channel that you mentioned has time and again done this and no one can hold them to account as they will consture as a ’shab-khoon” on their ‘aazadi”.
It is time that the citizens should act as watchdogs and point out that ‘accountability’ includes media responsibility as well!
Thanks for visiting Lahore Nama. Hope you also saw my other blogs:
http://www.razarumi.com
http://www.pakteahouse.wordpress.com
http://www.taraqee.wordpress.com
You’ve got a good idea about media accountability but the problem lies with the public. It lies asleep, getting raped over and over again by the politicians and the media alike but failing to wake up.
Welcome to my blog. I’ll check your other blogs out soon.
You just posted what I’ve been talking all morning about. Infact, that news is still on on a white flashing ticker above their traditional news ticker. And, no one has confirmed what they are saying. The stocks already tumbled early in the morning. Does GEO even care? Nopes, they’ve enough money to pay Dr. Shahid a whopping 25 lacs a month!
And btw, there should be no doubt that geo is being externally supported, financed and motivated to do what they are doing. By external, I’m not pointing towards the west, but elements of distraction within pakistan.
I would point my finger on Nawaz Sharif, he’s the only one hell-bent on exacting revenge from Musharraf.
Regardless this news…but many times GEO reminds me the 1970s time (off course, I read in books) and the stories published by news papers of east Pakistan ….
I would like to read some of this. Can you recommend some books or websites please?
Firstly, read AL-BADAR
Al-Badar?
i dont like to watch geo now a days .. whenever i watched i feel like am living in country where war is goin on…
Should read this and tell me what you think:
http://www.riazhaq.com/2008/05/should-pakistanis-be-proud-of-their.html
How does one get in touch with you, Ali? I am impressed by your blog. Masha Allah. I would like to talk to you on a couple of things, serious business, no political stuff.
Hope to hear from you soon.
Regards
Syed Ammar F. N.
Thanks for visiting. You can get in touch by replying to the email you receive on my reply to your comment. Regards.
Spot on mate! Someone needs to hold these people accountable for all the manufactured garbage they’re constantly spewing on air. This has become a very serious problem in the country today, and something ought to be done about it.
Perhaps a show on Ankahi on the same topic would help raise public awareness. I’ll write to FQ about it!
Good point. What’s Ankahi, by the way?
other then that …
Pakistan – The Largest Salt Deposits – Khewra Mines
Pakistan – One of the Largest reserves of Natural Gas
Road on the top of the world – Karakoram Highway (26,000 feet)
Pakistani Pharmaceutical industry is the world 8 largest.
Staff of intel Pakistan has gone up to 5 to 100 in 4 years and it will reach 2000 by 2010.
list is so long.. but the thing is do you see common pakistani benefited recently ? and i forget one thing
the world largest gold and copper mines discovered in Pakistan recently and i think they worth 700bn$ and our last government tried to hide this news
You can’t do things in 5 or 8 years that were not done in the last 60 years. Development takes time. Poverty went from 34% to 24% in 8 years, now it’s back to 33% due to inflation.
The news about the mines is public but forgotten.
Ankahi is a show done by Faisal Qureshi (formerly of DAWN breakfast show, and Loose Ends of BusinessPlus) about grave issues plaguing our society today. Its on Samaa TV mondays to fridays 10PM.
Hmm…nice!
Your article couldn’t be any more perfect to show the false picture our beloved news channels are creating! Musharraf or no Musharraf, it is imperative to present all sides of a story and with due proof and confirmation. This sell out media only speaks the language of the highest bidder! If Musharraf had paid the right price, they would be chanting for him instead today. Simple as that. That tells you whose feet they are lapping these days as the entire sensationalism is one sided and biased.
Welcome to the blog.
You are absolutely right. And it won’t be harmful to assume that this artificial unrest in the country is “foreign” funded.
Sensationalizing every thing.
Like just today in Geo news a piece was coming that bahrain has appointed a JEW woman as ambassador in USA.
Why the need to emphasize JEW in the whole piece? The do have Jewish population, hmm so?
Indeed. You know, I want to become the President of Pakistan, have these people stand in line and shoot them one by one.
By the way, “Geo” sounds like “Jew”, doesn’t it?
There was a time when a large group of people used to say that GEO is sponsored by Jews, and hence the similarity in sound. All rubbish though. And by the way, I’m just wondering why can’t someone sue the news channel of the correspondent for this news, or can they? Because it sent tremors at the KSE, while the news turned out to be completely false (and somewhat forged). These people are merely trying to create differences between the President and the COAS (forgetting that they both have a relationship that goes a long way). Also, this is yet another attempt to drag the COAS in the political scenario and ultimately go towards the martial law. So who’s calling the army now?!
Indeed.
Hell, if Musharraf can resign, why can’t Geo be sponsored by Jews?
And 48 hours passed away without anything happening!