TV THOUGHTS: Discussing the future of the coalition and the country; Lieutenant General (Retd) Chishti on PTV; Manmohan Ali Passes away

Discussing the future of the coalition and the country; Lieutenant General Chishti (Retd) on PTV; Mahmood Ali passes away. Once again, for a number of reasons, a central question, seems to be revolving around the future of this country. That Pakistan is in danger seems to be a point that even diverse sections of opinion are in agreement about.
How to tackle this issue, and measure up to the challenge is the question that is creating more division, and conflict. Then there is the ongoing dramatic uncertainty about the future of the coalition government, at the Centre, and whether PML-N will walk out finally, having failed to get the support on the judiciary issue from the Pakistan People's Party.
Khawaja Saad Rafique, a senior leader of the PML-N, said over a TV channel that the next three weeks or so would make it clear if the coalition is to survive. However, it is very interesting that both views (for and against the coalition surviving) are being expressed by political leaders on TV channels, often depending on and reflecting the political opinion they or their party subscribes to.
The Pakistani TV viewer (read citizen) is truly worried not only by the fears that price rises are bringing, but also that there is tension on the Pakistani-Afghan border, and the threats that are coming from the Karzai government.
That the TV channels have several other worrying themes to contemplate and argue (often emotionally it seems) about, with regard to agonising internal political stability, and the overseas visits of major leaders, who deliberate and decide Pakistan's issues in Dubai and London, etc is obvious. Whither bound are we? Which reminds me that the statements of Makhdoom Amin Fahim also are bringing more troubling questions to the fore.
PTV IS CHANGING Keeping in mind the fact that the Pakistan Television Corporation has a new chairman and managing director, with someone as well known as Dr Shahid Masood, who took charge a couple of weeks ago, and who carries with him his successes from the world of Aryone world and Geo, there is good reason to look forward to the some qualitative changes in the reasonably near future. In fact TV viewers are keen to see the changes that will take place sooner than later, given the tough competition there is between the country's TV channels.
One central question is being asked is about the kind of programme that Dr Shahid Masood will handle personally, as anchor and otherwise (as a producer?) There is much curiosity and interest in this matter. What kind of change will TV viewers be able to see in the programmes that he will do so now. This is perhaps the first time that the PTV has an anchor person as its Chairman and Managing Director also.
An APP news story datelined Islamabad has said that the Pakistan TV is planning to open news bureau's in various countries. Details indicate that the PTV seeks to highlight the country's enlightened democratic identity and update viewers about the latest news and other developments that are likely to take place in the future. Indeed Pakistan is in the midst of enormous change, and as some opinions underline Pakistan is "in the eye of the storm".
APP says that the PTV's objective of opening these news bureau's in phases is to feature Pakistan's culture and centuries old civilisation at the international level. A PTV source has been quoted by the official news agency as saying that the proposal to open these news bureau's Worldwide is historic, as this is happening for the first time. And it further said that the new Chairman and Managing Director was holding meetings with "envoys of various countries".
There is a report that has appeared in the English daily, The Nation (dated 11th July) which had the following headline "PTV chairman's 'approach' stuns PPP leaders" The story said that the "the newly appointed Chairman of the PTV, Dr Shahid Masood has adopted an anti-PPP approach that has stunned the party leaders, sources said".
The sources were quoted as saying that the Chairman directed the senior officials, including the directors, anchorpersons and resource persons in a meeting that he had been appointed with a clear mandate and therefore was not answerable to any highups in the Information Ministry.
The sources said that "the PTV Chairman has told the PTV officials that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto is now a part of the past and she should be treated as such. It is said that in his first meeting with the PTV officials he was quoted as saying that the state run television was not the spokesperson of the PPP. He had also suspended the special "taranas" that were paying tributes to the late Benazir Bhutto.
The PTV Chairman was also quoted as saying the henceforth the state managed TV channel would not focus on live coverage to governors, chief ministers and other ministers, a decision that has shocked PPP leaders.
There is no doubt that whatever Dr Shahid Masood does in PTV (or anywhere?) he is going to create ripples. Another report in the daily Dawn (of 13th July) has referred to the audit that he has initiated in the Pakistan TV. One can imagine the psychological impact that it may have had on the PTV, and the implicit and explicit reaction that may be surfacing within the organisation.
The Dawn report said, "Foreign team arrives to probe into 'PTV scam'. And the story disclosed that an international audit team had arrived in Islamabad to probe "alleged financial irregularities" in the PTV affairs. This was stated by official sources in the PTV. It further said that the team of KPMG auditing would begin looking into the PTV's accounts right away and submit a report to the newly appointed Chairman within three weeks.
Apparently this is the first time that the PTV is undergoing an audit by foreign auditors. The news report said that "there was evidence of large scale irregularities in setting up of news studios, in the Chaghi auditorium, sale of rights to air cricket matches, purchase of privately produced programmes, and technical equipment, including cameras, DSNGs and computers".
The news report further said that Dr Shahid Masood held a meeting with the PTV directors, and stressed that they should fully cooperate with the auditors. He added that the PTV was a national organisation and corruption of no kind would be tolerated therefore.
LET GEN CHISHTI (RETD) RECOLLECTS: It was a very absorbing and informative interview of Lieutenant General Faiz Ali Chishti (Retd) that was telecast on PTV and at one stage he asked his interviewer why was he being interviewed. He had retired in 1980 and was one of those who were very close to the late President General Ziaul Haq. He later developed differences with the president when he disagreed with him.
Lieutenant General Chishti (Retd) went back into time, recollecting the days when the first Pakistani army chief was appointed (Ayub Khan) sometime in 1951. And he said that instead of his retiring in 1954 (after three years) he managed and manoeuvred to stay on until he was able to stage a coup and take over as the President of Pakistan. He referred to President Pervez Musharraf also to say that had he accepted the decision of the Prime Minister in 1999, the history of the country would have been very different today.
He answered many questions, and each one he handled with spontaneity and an accuracy that indicated how well he remembered details and dates, and on a couple of occasions he had to tell the young (but well informed interviewer) to recheck his information and dates.
The interview brought memories of the seventies, the PNA movement against the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto government and how it was overthrown on 5th July 1977, and the hanging of the former Prime Minister. I would like to see this interview again - and also other interviews which have been telecast on other channels. There is much about our past that is kept hidden from the public eye.
Which reminds me of some powerful programmes that we have seen on the channels in recent weeks. The 54th birthday of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, and which was the first after her assassination, the 5th of July which was observed as a black day by the government, and some other political parties.
ATTACK ON PAKISTAN FEARED?There is a growing fear, being expressed on various TV channels that while there is information and evidence that the United States may attack Pakistan before 20th July, the government of Pakistan is not doing enough to take the nation into confidence on what the real facts are.
The former Chief of the ISI, Lieutenant General (Retd) Hameed Gul who is a frequent TV panelist on various current affairs on different channels has warned that such an attack by the US may take place on the tribal areas of this country. He told a TV channel that the US forces had so far launched 46 attacks on Pakistan's territories but felt that this one would be different and more devastating than the previous ones.
He also said that the government had overlooked the mandate that the people had given in the February polls this year. Referring to the United States he said that "the US not only wanted to bring Pakistan's nuclear status to an end, but also Pakistan's national values which the Americans consider far more dangerous than the nuclear power."
I would like to refer here to a very important programme that I saw over the Aryone World on Tuesday night in which anchor person Mazhar Abbas (who is also in the news at times in his capacity as the secretary general of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists) was focusing on a theme which was whether Pakistan could become another Afghanistan. He does a regular programme called Deadline, which goes on air at the time when TV viewers have a number of options.
Mazhar Abbas spoke to Sultan Ahmedain of the Afghsn government, who repeated the point that they would retaliate if they felt that Pakistan was behind the terrorism in their country. The mood between the two countries is a recurring theme for analysis, and for arguments on both sides of the border. The United States is watching, of course.
MAHMOOD ALI PASSES AWAY: The affable, humble, and the legendary radio, TV artiste Mahmood Ali, aged about 80 passed away in a Karachi hospital last week. Inna Lil La Hey Wa Inna Elahey Rajeon. This is to acknowledge the enormous, even historic contribution that he made to radio, stage, and television in particular - but perhaps given the humane, and soft spoken person he was he touched the hearts of all those whom he interacted with. And from what Behroze Subzwari and Marina Khan said in a morning show (over ARY Digital) it was apparent that he was a very considerate, loving and excellent teacher for all new comers.
Indeed many thoughts come to mind as I write about him. There is the treasure of memory that some of us have of him, and his times, -- spread over sixty years virtually. There are those of us who have known of him and his Radio Pakistan richness of dimension, others have known of his charismatic but earthy presence that he had in theatre and others of his scintillating strides across the TV screen.
He was truly an accomplished artiste, and off screen he was utterly endearing I have seen some of the coverage of his having passed away, but I wonder whether the TV channels have done their bit for an award winning artiste, who enriched our lives, all the time. I also wonder whether selections of his radio and TV work can be put together and made available to the public.
This is a thought that goes out to excellent work that has been done by Radio Pakistan and PTV in its younger days. So many names come to mind. S.M Salim, Amir Khan, Afzal Siddiqui, Abdul Majid, Safia Moinee, Jamshed Ansari so many, really. My own memory meanders. Is there any way one can hear that weekly Sunday morning Radio show Hamid Mian Key Haan. Or that short Radio programme called Dekhta Chala Gaya, (remember the sailani of yesteryears?) I know the futility of these questions, and wishes. But yet I must ask.
The versatility of Mahmood Ali's voice over the radio, and the light-hearted breezy image of him in many of his TV plays, and his self effacing but meaningful presence in real life are some memories that I carry of him. It hurt and disappointed me to hear a TV report saying that not many of the big names of Radio and TV were there at his funeral. But have we not heard this before? He has left behind a widow, a daughter and three sons.
ANOTHER ENGLISH NEWS CHANNEL COMING: I think there is every reason to feel good about the news that another new channel in English is going to be a part of our lives. And there is every reason to give credence to the thought about where all these qualified professionals are going to come from. Will they be trained on the job?
On Sunday (13th July) there was a half page advertisement (colour) in the Dawn, which announced "Breaking News" from the Express news channel. It said that after the success of Express news the management was launching an English news channel and that it was looking for professionals in at least six departments in the proposed channel.
These departments: news, creative, finance, marketing sales promotions and programming. In the context of the kind of quality that is available when it comes to English language teachers and teaching in this society, a valid question arises: will these channels have the required quality and in reasonable time?
When does the new Express channel begin its regular transmissions? Obviously thoughts also go out to the Geo English which is also likely to begin soon. News and stories of how staff is being hired and moving from one channel to another are also in circulation. Needless to say that there are still more news channels in the pipeline. Thoughts also go out to the point that Pakistan will have English and Urdu news channels, and this will be an interesting option like English and Urdu dailies, and the regional language daily newspapers?
As far as media and employment go, here are more opportunities coming, and which is enough as a feel good factor for now. The number of channels is growing in the country-news, entertainment, food, sports and so on. How many will the system settle for. That is a question that one never loses track of.