Discuss : Pakistan Ka Kia Banay Ga? By Ansar Abbasi

[niazikhan2]

ISLAMABAD: “Pakistan Ka Kia Banay Ga” (what will happen to Pakistan), is the most asked question today by the general public, who are full of scepticism and doubts about the future of their homeland.

People had been hardly as much concerned about the future of the country as they are these days. Whether you talk to ordinary folks in the streets, the top executives and high professionals in the private sector, members of the civilian or military bureaucracy, businessmen or politicians, everybody is unsure, uncertain and in a state of disbelief.

There is something seriously going wrong here. As a nation, we are on the fast track of decline. Corruption is unbridled, mismanagement is the rule of the day, law and order is deteriorating, governance has lost its meaning and the state institutions are in complete disarray.

The government, the prime minister, the cabinet and all other executive institutions are held hostage to the whims and wishes of just one man — the democratically elected President Asif Ali Zardari. The judiciary, which for the first time in the history of Pakistan has become independent, is on the target after its recent decision on the NRO. However, the judiciary is strong enough to face such attacks because of the support of the general public.

The institutions of the Pakistan Army and the ISI have been put on the defensive after being repeatedly but subtly blamed for conspiring against democracy (read president). There are not even many politicians to believe this but the kind of aspersions cast at the Khakis by no less than the president have certainly disappointed the men in uniform. Presently, both the Army chief and the DG ISI enjoy the complete trust of not only the military’s ranks and files but are also generally respected by the civvies.

The year 2010 is critical for the military. The incumbent Army chief, who did an excellent job during the last two years to re-deem the military’s respect that was at its lows when the ousted dictator handed over the command to General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, is completing his tenure in October this year.

The incumbent ISI chief, who too did remarkably well particularly to cut some influential foreigners to size, is also retiring next month. General Pasha may get extension but it is not yet clear who would be the next ISI chief. The ISI, which served as the CIA’s extension under Musharraf, would be destroyed if this state institution gets any weak or pro-American leader after its incumbent chief’s departure.

Now the main concern in the military is: who would be the next Army chief. The right selection of a professional soldier is a must to secure the interests of Pakistan and the Army too. If the 17th Amendment is not reversed by then, President Zardari would be at liberty to appoint his choice Army chief. What would be his selection is a million dollar question but given his past decisions and choices for civilian institutions, apprehensions are bound to haunt both people in uniform and others. The condemned ousted dictator may also try to get some of his blue-eyed three star pro-American generals to brighten his chances of returning to the corridors of power.

On the civilian side, the bureaucracy is politicised like never before, totally disgruntled and disappointed. The top mandarins in the civil service have yet to get out of the shock that they had recently received following highly controversial promotions made by the prime minister.

Consequently, the top policy-making body and other key civilian institutions are badly suffering. Ad hocism is the rule of the day. Vulnerable bureaucracy, politicised decision-making and growing meddling into bureaucratic affairs are the ingredients of a perfect recipe for mismanagement, corruption and bad-governance and this is precisely what is happening in Islamabad.

The Pakistan Steel Mills is swallowing billions of rupees from the public kitty every month but still not given the attention that it deserves to save it from a complete collapse. The Pakistan International Airlines has become yet another white elephant but mismanagement and controversial appointments are continuing unchecked in it.

The Pakistan Railways is too making heavy losses but here too the unattended factors of mismanagement and corruption remain unattended. Many such institutions, including the Insurance Corporation of Pakistan, which are led by handpicked favourites instead of professionals and competent managers selected on merit through transparent procedures, are also on the fast track of joining the list of white elephants dependent on hundreds of billions of annual grants from taxpayers’ money.

With corruption attaining new heights, there is absolutely no check on it by the government that instead seems to be promoting it. NAB is flooded with complaints of massive corruption but it finds its hands tied to probe these cases of loot and plunder. The FIA is highly politicised and dances to the tunes of the rulers. It is generally believed that this is perhaps the best time to make money as no one is interested to watch you or catch you.

Privates businesses and major investors are on the run because of extremely poor conditions. There are reports of some top businessmen having being approached on behalf of some influential rulers to grease the right palms. The tales of harassment of Hashwanis and Manshas are already making rounds. Instead of facilitating them, the government regulators are making the conditions tougher and tougher for the investors.

In such a bleak scenario, people today sound more concerned about Pakistan than anything else. Pakistan cannot sustain to be run in the present fashion. It requires a change — a change in presidential style to ensure good governance, merit based appointments, a crusade against corruption, rule of law and effective role of the cabinet and parliament.

The constitutional distortions need to be removed. If the president and the prime minister are not ready for this crucial change and continue with their present misrule and none-serious attitude towards issues of national importance then it is the opposition particularly the PML(N)’s responsibility to use all democratic means, including protests and long marches, to compel the government to do what is for the good of the country. Even the demand for the mid-term polls could be a possibility.

The judiciary is doing well and it ought to continue adjudging the cases placed before it in line with law and the Constitution without any fear or favour. It should not be bothered about the negative propaganda unleashed by the government against the judiciary after the latter handed down its decision on the NRO. The military, on the other side, should remain focused on its soldering matters and start learning the art of staying away from politics.

[irshadsod]

I am very depressed to see the revengeful attitude of some anchors who are claiming that they are unbiased and impartial.

Such sort of stories, and programs are evidence of their unbiassenrss. They are continuously targeting a single person without any sense. By doing this they think that they are winning public favor but in actual they are loosing their value. General public has started hatting these anchors on the basis of their personal ego based impartial programs and articles.

These anchors and journalists are depicting the picture of our beloved Pakistan in a sense like we have lost everything, Pakistan is no more on the map of world, we are number one nation in the failed and corrupt states of the world and all that has been due to only one person. Their programs and articles have made us paghal and they themselves have lost their senses by indulging into revengeful and biased approaches. They can't see the positive side of Pakistan, they can't admit the good points of ruling government, they can only view the negative and most often artificial negatives. Why are they playing with nation's sentiments why have they created this stress and demotivation in our nation and they are defaming us in the eyes of international community. I just hate these anchors , hate like I used to hate anti Pakistan factors. They are not less than Anti-State players, I don't know on whose agenda they are working in such a disastrous mission. They are in no way giving benefit to our society.

They are loosing their battle which is purely based on prejudices and ill feelings. Shahid Masood and Ansar Abbasi are in the top list of such anti-state anchors

[niazikhan2]

@irsahadsod

dear respected member dnt say it is revengeful attitude,,there are two side right or wrong,,if you or our government prove that that they are publishing wrong stories of corruption then after it we will slam all these anchor,if it not happen then we should appreciate them all these anchor or journalist that they are presenting picture of what our leaders are doing...

[irshadsod]

Tell me one thing: Is there no any step, policy, or move that is worth praising or worth appreciating in government?

[Muser]

Anchors & analysts can't be blamed much, though some channels do sensationalize & overdo sometimes, rather most of the times, but thats a trivial issue comparable to the gravity of the serious issues that needs to be addressed. & when nothing good is happening around, you can't close your eyes & sing 'all is well'...we sure would sound idiots.

[irshadsod]

Tell me any positive thing that has been appreciated by these two anchors and some similar lobbying anchors. For God sake stop backing them they have destroyed our peace of mind. The time you open TV news channel the time you read their articles you are succumbed in the dreadful film, like you are watching any terror movies, any horror movies.
We remain happy when we keep are selves distant from their targeted programs.

They have assumed themselves as institutions in their personal capacities, and they take it as a challenge to defame any person or weaken any body.

Like Zaradari repeats one common term in his each speech and press conference "Democracy"
These anchors can't live without throwing some mud on zardari in their each show, program and article even if that show, program or article doesn't need that discussion.

Had I been in the position of Zardari I would have taken them to the task for indulging into anti-state activities which are aggravating the country situation and taken her to destabilization.


Give me any example of their last six month programs, articles in which they have mistakenly appreciated any positive thing of government? I would love to watch or read that program or article.

Media has become a competing institution in our country, they have assumed the role of lobby. They are greedy to participate into the decision making machinery of the state. Media itself has become power thirsty. They want to dictate their terms. Please don't promote this ill intentioned activity.

[Humayun Khan]

Allow me to join your club Irshadsod!!
Ur hitting the right tone of the of the so called "freedom of expression" notes by the newly born media of our state!

No doubt the media is doing what they are ought to do - make public, expose the wrong doings aimed at rectification but one basic element is still missing - publicizing benevolence & national interest.

Do not move far, have a glance at our neighboring India!
If publicizing "the immoral, rotten, corrupt, defective, poor and Unsatisfactory" news in the "only noble task" of the media - India would have been the first to lead the run.
On the contrary, they publicize the "Incredible India" Slogans.
A wonderland depiction, is not it?

There is a psychological theory and a very valid one - Give the bad news to a person first followed by a good news, the impact of the good news becomes insignificant.

Turn on our channels, the first news would be a bad one (at least thats what my TV shows and i live on Planet Earth)
Very rarely, a good news qualifies the sick criteria to be the first news in our print and electronic media e.g if Pakistan wins the World Cup!!


To be honest, i have left watching my state's news channels except for Dawn news!
and to some extent Aaj TV ( just because of the Superb Journalistic approach of Talat Hussain)

On top of the list, the channels who are intoxicating the masses through their "ill-yellow journalism" are Geo and to some extent Express News!

Anchors there are not mere anchors, they are celebrities, to be honest!
Readers are free to disagree, as they breath in the same air as i do!

To cut it short, there should be an element of "National Interest" at the very base of of the "Media Pyramid" in Pakistan.
Be it for the Good, but:

Every News is not meant to be "The News"
Every Breaking News or a Targeted article or Targeted Talk show is not meant to be "The News"
Our media is at infancy stage, if adjustments are not made quickly, it will pose yet another problem to the country which is already in a "Problematic Whirlpool"

All the Best!

[niazikhan2]

@irshadost

point out one thing in above article that is incorrect,,,,you people are negative to journalist and looking on govt.as they are all pious.....please be realistic

[Invincible]

Dear friendz
Ansar abasi is being played in the hands of unknown powers, he is totaly biased. Geo is spreading just pessimism. If u want to know how media is creating news--- just watch new indian movie RANN then u wil come to know true picture of the story.