Journalism in Pakistan

December 21, 2013 Leave a comment

 Introduction to Journalism 

As we all know what Journalism is, it serves the purpose of playing the role of a public service machinery in the dissemination and analysis of news and information. In general, Journalism acts as a purveyor of information and opinion about public affairs. It thus plays a greater role in the building of a nation and it’s development, as if it is used in a true manner like it should be used, Journalism can prove to be a powerful weapon in any nation’s development. Journalism in a democratic political system ensures the provision of free information in order to an environment of check and balance along with equal distribution of power among the governments. Therefore, the work of a Journalist should be unbiased and independent which will make sure that information provided by media sources is free of any kind of intervention by government or any other body which can affect the freedom of speech for a Journalist and also he is not under any kind of pressure.Journalistic objectivity is a significant principle of journalistic professionalism. Journalistic objectivity can refer to fairness, disinterestedness, factuality, and nonpartisanship, but most often encompasses all of these qualities.

 The above points relate to general discussion about Journalism. Now if Journalism in the modern world is analyzed, then it should be clear that certain changes have found their way in the Journalism from past two or three decades, as there is a wider use of technology and hence the method of information conveying is changing rapidly. The use of internet is becoming common and the subjective opinion on the social media is becoming a tool for criticism or appreciation. These changes are also affecting Journalism all over the world and also in Pakistan.

Journalism in Pakistan

There a large number of newspapers and news channels operating in Pakistan which are playing their important role in the development of Pakistan. And from these newspapers and news channels, some are very notable in the world and others are serving Journalism by providing information in regional languages. Altogether, print and electronic media in Pakistan is very operational and are serving the nation, BUT NOT ACCORDING TO THE TRUE CONCEPTS OF JOURNALISM. The point is that Journalism in Pakistan is very biased and is so-called independent, I can prove this point by mentioning a particular religious community which is declared as Non-Muslim according to the Constitution of Pakistan, and a specific hate campaign against that community to which these newspapers and news agencies are playing their part. As mentioned earlier, Journalistic Objectivity should be reflected in the the information conveyed by Journalism, but unfortunately this significant principle is ignored by every newspaper and news channel in Pakistan.

 The community I mentioned is Ahmaddiyya Muslim Community, which is a constant target of persecution by so-called Islamists and clergy. The same clergy who opposed the creation of Pakistan and now these Mullahs are working day and night for the destruction of social and economical environment in Pakistan by spreading hatred among the naïve public. Apart from Mullahs, the role of Journalism in this case of persecution of Ahmadies is also worth mentioning as each and every newspaper is working hard, regardless of the Journalistic principles, against Ahmadies and in this way the objectivity is completely ignored in Pakistani Journalism. Targeting a particular Religious community is a common tool of newspapers here for spreading hatred among these people and this particular unprofessional and amateur behavior is totally due to the pressure already placed in the society by so-called Islamic Flag Bearers and Mullahs.

Facts and Figures 

This part of the article gives an overview of figures containing publications of news and articles which actively play their role in the hate campaign against Ahmadies. A newspaper named Nawai Waqt has published more news against Ahmadies since 2003 than any other newspaper in Pakistan, the figure is nearly 850-950 news, also the Chief Editor of this newspaper, Mr. Majeed Nizami expressively stated in his paper that he damns Qadianis (Ahmadis). Every sensible Journalist in the world would think just for one second that what kind of professionalism is Mr. Majeed Nizami is exhibiting here. Such kind of hate campaign against Ahamdies has already damaged the image of Pakistan in the world and is constantly doing so.

 Similarly, some other noted newspapers in Pakistan have also published such false news to spread hatred in the society and to create a social disorder in Pakistan. “Ausaf” is another well-known newspaper in Pakistan, Mr. Mehtab Khan the editor, has published a large number of news in the year 2012 with exactly 193 news and 36 articles. Another on of the most read newspaper is Jang, the name of Editor is Mr. Shakeel ur Rehman, the number of published news is 72 and the published articles is 19. If we look at the figures for another newspaper, Pakistan is another noted newspaper, Mr. Mujeeb ur Rehman Shami the editor, has published about 106 news and 37 articles against Ahmadiyya Community, just to play their part in hate campaign against Ahmadis in Pakistan.

 This is an overview of publications made by some significant newspapers in Pakistan in respect of persecution of Ahmadies in Pakistan. Although there are some regional newspapers printed in regional languages and these are of large number, all of them are also not behind in this mission. Such newspapers collectively published about 331 news and about 51 articles in the year 2012. So the total figure of news and articles published against the Ahmadies are 1044 and 215 respectively.

Conclusion

  I hope that this article will help you see the true face of media,either print or electronic, and the wrong use of Journalism in Pakistan by these so-called liberals. Additionally, I pray for the betterment of society in Pakistan as our beloved country is completely in the hands of such people which were not willing of accepting Pakistan, as a separate independent country, in the first place. The point is that the fundamental principle of Journalism is Objectivity which is ignored in Pakistan and hence how can it be thought that print and electronic media in Pakistan is unbiased and independent?

(Here are some sample news published in different newspapers, these are in Urdu so English readers can find them troublesome)

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 These are just samples, as there is a large number of false news published since the creation of Pakistan. After reading these news, which are of course false as admitted by some of the well-known Journalists in Pakistan such as Mr. Hussain Naqi, any sensible, reasonable and level-headed person can understand this fact that such false publication are just a tool of false propaganda and for spreading hate, expressing malevolency which leads to murderousness.

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The Ransom Money

December 14, 2013 Leave a comment

 From centuries the concept of Ransom Money has prevailed, of course in different scenarios and forms. In the modern world where a common unrest is found everywhere in various forms, Ransom money has found a new shape. And in this case of Ransom money, the threat to overall global integrity and peace is at stake. We will see that this threat is living among us from over a decade but some of us have started to live with it and some are still trying to get over it in order to reduce it to a minimum level. But these efforts are only making the situation worse. The efforts to reduce or eliminate the threat are making it more powerful and it has taken different forms in the different geographical locations.

Three years ago al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), an Islamist terror group, snatched the four from their beds in the uranium-mining town of Arlit, in Niger. The government and the workers’ employers (the nuclear giant Areva and Vinci, a construction firm) say no ransom was paid. But Le Monde, a newspaper, claims French spies used a secret fund to pay a €20m ($27m) ransom to a group in the town of Kidal in neighbouring Mali. (The Economist)

Let us consider that such big amount from a secret fund was not from the public’s money, then where do they managed to arrange it. And $27 millions were paid to a militant group. Does this seem fair enough? Regardless of the risk of four lives at stake, I mean there could be another way.

Outwardly, most Western governments decry such payments. In June ministers of the G8, a rich-country club, agreed to crack down on the practice. Outfits like AQIM, they say, draw much of their income from the lucrative foreigner-grabbing racket. Paying ransoms fuels instability and emboldens would-be kidnappers.

In October last year David Cohen, of America’s Treasury Department, claimed terrorist groups had collected about $120m in ransoms since 2004. The rumored French payment alone would boost that total by a lot.

A British kidnap negotiator says French cash may not have reached AQM directly in the Kidal case. The government of Niger could have done the deal in return for military vehicles and equipment (it denies this). But to the kidnappers such distinctions would seem trivial.

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Return of Gen Pervaiz Musharraf needed for a balanced Pakistan

November 8, 2013 Leave a comment

I must say that the truth is as it is explained in this blog and the return of Gen. Pervaiz Musharaff is vital.

Danish Kazi's avatarDanish Kazi Blogs

Pakistan is going through a critical juncture in its history. Not the first one maybe. We have seen making choices in the past. But the difference was that we decided between ethinicities , we decided between ideologies, we decided between geographies but it’s the first time where we are deciding between being a fundamentalist state or not. With all this chaos where my heart feels that we get dragged towards becoming a radicalized democracy. The only silver lining which came to us as a good news was that Gen Pervaiz Musharraf was given bails in all the cases mainly on the charges of Article 6, Lal Masjid, Bugti’s and Benazir’s death and would eventually be absolved. I am sure that Mr. Musharraf who has still not appeared in the press is strategizing on how to make his next move as I write this piece now.

A commando he always has…

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The Truth

October 25, 2013 Leave a comment

“The truth is, there is no Islamic army or terrorist group called Al Qaida.
And any informed intelligence officer knows this. But there is a propaganda
campaign to make the public believe in the presence of an identified entity
representing the ‘devil’ only in order to drive the TV watcher to accept a
unified international leadership for a war against terrorism.
The country behind this propaganda is the US …”
Former British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook

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From Government Shut-Down to Government Default!

October 16, 2013 2 Comments

This article is named as The Trillions, Tax and the Treasury- The US debt ceiling in the 90 seconds video from BBC’s Franz Stasser. This gives a break down of the numbers, dates and payments. 

 The two chambers of the US Congress are pursuing parallel budget plans to extend the debt limit and reopen the federal government. Both plans would alter provisions of President Barack Obama’s health law. The US must raise its $16.7tn (£10.5tn) debt limit by Thursday. The government has been shut since 1 October.

 On 17th October, US Government will reach it’s borrowing limit of $16.699 trillion, that’s $16,699,000,000000, also known as The Debt Ceiling. The US Treasury will no longer have enough cash to meet it’s financial obligations. It will start with $30 billion left in the bank, and the money it get’s through tax revenues, NOT ENOUGH TO PAY ALL THE BILLS.

 Every day will bring the Government to default.

 On 17th October,

 -$11 billion in retirement checks are due.

 Last year on 24th October, it paid:

 -$1.8 billion to defense contractors.

 -$2.2 billion to hospitals that treat the elderly.

 On 31st October:

 -the government will owe $6 billion in interests on it’s loans.the white house

 And finally on 1 November, payments worth $58 billion are due to:

-Disability Benefits.

-Medicare Payments.

-Retiree Pay.

-Military Pay.

 Despite taking approx. $6 billion in taxes daily, it is unlikely that the Treasury will have enough money left to make all those payments. And fulfill it’s debt interest obligations.

 Millions of dollars will be owed to local schools, welfare recipients and defense contractors. But missed payments to bondholders around the world could result in rising interest rates and call into question the role of the US Dollar as the world’s currency. 

 So can the Government pay the Chinese investor and not the veteran? 100 million different monthly payments means it will be harder to prioritize.

 Some believe the Treasury would have to wait until it has enough money in the bank to make a day’s worth of payments.

 To meet all of it’s obligations through 2014, Congress would need to raise the debt ceiling by $1.1 trillion.

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The Syria Crisis

September 30, 2013 Leave a comment

 Now a days, an issue has been raised, I don’t know if it is made up but it can be deduced on the past practice basis that this is just a tool for nations to prove their superiority, so the issue is the situation of Syria. In the past, the city of Damascus has faced many brutal times through which it has made it’s way out and here it is facing another crisis situation. Just for record, western nations have always been very aggressive if it comes to the case of under-developed or developing countries, for this purpose they use such cases in order to prove that they are  the only superior nations but in fact they were and they still are proving that they need some sort of a ladder step to step on, get higher and then never care about the step but move on. We have seen such things from centuries, whether it is the British invasion or French or in present tense the American invasion in different areas of the globe. My question is that what you have gained or let’s say did you find any “Weapons of Mass Destruction”? Or did you reformed the political and economical condition of those countries? Did you established peace and harmony in those countries? I know that many have asked such questions but the answer is “We cannot allow that someone is using power for his own interest.”

It is worth mentioning that there are few examples which elaborate the need for such extreme actions involving the invasion of a free country. I shall mention one such example which will be enough and after this if we relate the past situation to the present one then you will find no difference. The incident of 9/11, in which nearly 3000 innocent Americans lost their lives, finds it’s way back to the Russian attack on Afghanistan. The common practice is to blame every Muslim for the actions of only 19 insane men who had nothing to do with their lives. Never forget what happened on that day but remember this also, 19 men did that not an entire religion. So the attack on Afghanistan was just a chance not to be wasted in order to seek revenge what the Russians had done to America and what It has been doing seen then, so Americans used the Afghan land by the name of helping Afghans and create a militants group with the help of some intelligence agencies, which group was later called as “Jihadis”. By using the Islamic teachings of Islam in the wrong way, Muslims were persuaded to strike back and destroy the Russian front in Afghanistan. These Jihadi groups then took the form of Al-Qaida, when after the war, they were not supported by their founders in anyway. So we can say that these militant and extremist groups are not the true Islamic Jihadis, but are a man-made tool which is formed on the basis of a peaceful religion.

Secondly, the Veitnam war is also such an example of interference in a free country’s political setup, which later proved that no one has right to solve another’s issues if you are not, in any case, stakeholder to that particular issue or whatever. Then comes the Iraq invasion, which was mere a political drama created in order to hide the administrative mistakes inside the house and to capture the resources of the Iraqi people. I ask that what those innocent people had done to you or your country that you decided to destroy their lives, homes and took everything from them even their freedom. The issue was the Weapons of Mass Destruction, so tell me did you find the weapons or what? Whole country was burned to ashes and you were filling your bellies with the greed of power. To build your own economy you are screwing the half of the world’s economy. It is the tradition that the strong will win the competition, but the point is to mind the limits. Your limits are to your own borders, and you have no right to reform others until you are directly affected by the actions of others. For this purpose, we have something called the United Nations. You are not appointed as the Head Administrator of the World by God, so you have no responsibility of others apart from your own.

After mentioning Iraq, Veitnam, Afghanistan and yes Egypt to some extent, my purpose of writing this blog is clear. If steps are not taken then the future can be predicted easily on the grounds of past events.

(My source of inspiration is the works of Noam Chomsky)

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Drugs

August 30, 2013 Leave a comment

bcalmkid's avatarThe Han Nation

Alright, this is like my 5th draft, and whenever I wanted to start a topic like this, I am not sure if I am able to express myself clear enough. And I from this post, I would like you to understand what my thoughts are on drugs. So bear with me.

When I was a kid, drugs are drugs, and everyone knows how bad it is. It’s very hard to get it, and all the stories and news I as a kid read or saw was about heroine, or crack. The only people who get access to this stuff are extremely violent people who always get involved in gangs. Typical high class activities played out in loki events; nothing epic

Breaking bad 2

However, when I came here, I realized the differences. Drugs are not all the same, and people have very distinct attitudes towards the two types of drugs out there: hard…

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Should Marijuana be legalized? (Part 2)

August 27, 2013 3 Comments

In previous part, I discussed what Cannabis is, what is it’s effect on a human life and 5 years old Charlotte Figi’s story about how her parents used Marijuana for their daughter’s treatment, and got unexpected results.
Now, I shall discuss the other side of the picture, that is the harmful effects of Marijuana usage on our lives. In this section, I am about to explain the side effects of Marijuana, also how it can destroy lives apart from saving lives.

Marijuana Should not be Legalized!
Generally speaking, any drug addiction can cause severe problems and disorders in our body, similarly, Marijuana also creates problems. In a social circle, the addict will not feel safe, he used Marijuana in order to get over anxiety, but ultimately he finds himself in a situation where he will feel that no one is there for him, a constant fear will find his way. This is a one single problem in a wider prospect, but if specifically speaking, the drug addict will be destroying his health by killing useful elements in the body that are essential for the body in many ways, also the addict is constantly shortening his life. Drug abuse hurts the people who take drugs AND the people around them, including families, kids, and babies who aren’t born yet.
  Taking a drug can feel really good for a short time. That’s why people keep taking them—to have those good feelings again and again. But even though someone may take more and more of a drug, the good feelings don’t last. Soon the person is taking the drug just to keep from feeling bad.
Some people who feel very worried, afraid, or sad abuse drugs to try to stop feeling so awful. This doesn’t really help their problems and can lead to addiction, which can make them feel much worse.
Some people who want to get good grades, get a better job, or earn more money might think drugs will give them more energy, keep them awake, or make them think faster. But it usually doesn’t work, may put their health at risk, and may lead to addiction. And permanent addiction means that they will use drugs forever.

Above discussed points relate to drug addiction generally, but these points can however be related to a specific drug for example Marijuana in this case.

Police prosecuted 858,408 persons for marijuana violations in 2009, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s annual Uniform Crime Report. Marijuana arrests now comprise more than one-half (approximately 52 percent) of all drug arrests reported in the United States. A decade ago, marijuana arrests comprised just 44 percent of all drug arrests. Approximately 46 percent of all drug prosecutions nationwide are for marijuana possession. Of those charged with marijuana violations, approximately 88 percent (758,593 Americans) were charged with possession only. The remaining 99,815 individuals were charged with “sale/manufacture,” a category that includes virtually all cultivation offenses.

Recovery and Treatment
 Once someone is addicted to drugs, it is very difficult for him to give up on drugs and be like normal people. But it is obviously not impossible, there are different ways through which one can return to his drug free live, one of the most important way is the self-control, the addict must prepare himself to quit the drugs and then to maintain such state. He needs to change his social environment in which he interacted in the past when he was addict.

After recovery, Barbara's life is different.

After recovery, Barbara’s life is different.


“Barbara” is recovering from a cocaine addiction. Counseling is very helpful to her. She says that “My counselor gave me a reality check.” One-on-one counseling was most helpful for her, for few months she saw her counselor, once or twice a week. Now she checks in twice a month, to tell her counselor how she is doing. Now she feels that her life is totally different.Hence, once Barbara decided to quit cocaine, she took a stand on it and she had confidence in her. And a result she can now enjoy her life fully.

 How to Prevent Drug Abuse?
There is a practical example of “Cristina”, she is putting efforts to stop using Marijuana. She finds support from family and friends who don’t use marijuana.

To stop using marijuana, "Cristina" is making positive changes in her life.

To stop using marijuana, “Cristina” is making positive changes in her life.


She states that, “There was another reason it was hard to quit. Whenever I hung out with my friends, we’d share a couple of joints. I worried that they’d be mad at me if I said I didn’t want to. I used to have hobbies: cooking, travelling. I had plans for the future. But I stopped caring about these things the more I smoked weed. I’d just sit around, watching TV, eating too much junk food, and letting the world pass me by. I realized that I needed a big change. I need different people around me.”
Cristina found help from her aunt in order to give up on Marijuana addiction, and this changed her life. Now she got in touch with her some old friends who stopped seeing her because they don’t smoke weeds.

Conclusion

 In the first part, we got knowledge of what Marijuana is and it’s effects. We discussed both sides of the picture, the good one and the bad one. There are some useful ways of utilizing Marijuana and on the other hand it’s side effects are also worth considering. We came across some real examples of people relating to the Marijuana use. Apparently, it seems that everything is square, but in reality, if someone knows a drug addict he would say that drugs, specifically Marijuana, is very dangerous for health. But as I mentioned that by altering the constituent proportion in Cannabis, it can be proved very useful in medical field. So, now it depends upon readers to simplify the facts for themselves and decide on their own judgment that whether Marijuana is useful or harmful, as I have presented the both aspects of Marijuana. And they can now decide that “Should Marijuana be legalized or not?” (Note: The stories of people mentioned are real but the names and photos are changed. For more information, refer to NIH website)

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Should Marijuana be legalized? (Part 1)

August 17, 2013 3 Comments

The use of Cannabis was legitimate a few decades ago in the United States, even it was a part of medication legally. However, in recent years, with the legalization of growing, selling and smoking, the use of Marijuana has become more popular, typically among the young generation, and this fact can lead to the mentally affected next generation. For this reason, the question still exists that whether Marijuana is bad for you or it could be good for you? .

In general terms, smoking pot is a bad habit, it increases the risk of exposure to the lung related diseases. On the other hand, the use of weed for the treatment of various diseases can be proved very effective. The detailed debate on this topic will be carried out in this post in order to understand the both aspects, the harmful aspect and the helpful aspect, of Marijuana use in daily life.

The cannabis plants grown in a green house for medical purposes.

The cannabis plants grown in a green house for medical purposes.

What is Marijuana? An introduction.

Marijuana is a dry, shredded mix of flowers, stems, seeds and leaves of the hemp plant Cannabis sativa. People usually smoke it as a cigarette or in a pipe. It is the most commonly abused illegal drug in the United States.Cannabis, also known as Marijuana, is intended to use as a psychoactive drug and medicine. Cannabis consists of at least 85 cannabinoids and  It’s major constituent is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which mainly results in the pain relief. It’s other effects include relaxation, alteration of visual, auditory, and olfactory senses, fatigue, and appetite stimulation. It directly acts with that part of brain which makes you high and as a result relief in pain and anxiety .Along with THC, there is another major constituent of Marijuana, which is cannabidiol (CBD). CBD is the second major component of Marijuana, it represent upto 40% in it’s extracts. The applicable medical scope of CBD is wider than THC, and can be used to treat various diseases like epilepsy, anxiety disorders, nausea as well as inhabiting cancer cell growth. According to a study, about 40% of the Americans have either used or tried Marijuana.

Why should Marijuana be legalized?

The answer to this question seems very indifferent, as to a class of people, it is a very useful drug in the medical perimeter, while some will say NO it should not be legalized because it is a harmful drug and it will be a cause of psychological disturbance in society. However, if anything is used by limiting it’s usage, then it can be helpful in many purposes, as in the case of Marijuana, this drug can actually save lives. But both sides of picture should be considered before reaching to a conclusion. Therefore, this debate will cover both points, for the legalization of Marijuana and against it’s legalization.

The use of Marijuana should be legal.

It can be argued that the use of Marijuana should be legal, supported by the evidence, but it should be understood that by use, I mean use to such limit that it won’t be held responsible for any disorders in the society. As we have seen that there are a number of diseases which can be either cured or decreased their impact due to the use of Marijuana as a medicine but not as a smoking habit. It is suggested that before it’s use as medicine, it’s composition should be altered. For example, the proportion of THC should be to the minimum level due to its interaction with the part of brain causing addiction. Also, the proportion of CBD the constituent which is less psychoactive than THC, should be to a moderate level let’s say up to 38%. This will result in the curing part of the drug to play it’s part and the patient won’t get high either due to the little proportion of THC.

In this way, Marijuana can be a lifeline for some but it is and it will be a part of lifestyle for some. There is a 5 years old girl named Charlotte Figi in Colorado, who suffers from a rare condition called Dravet’s syndrome, making her prone up to 300 seizures per week. Charlotte’s parents tried every other option besides Marijuana but there was nothing getting better but worse. She used to take a number strong drugs at such young age, with one doze she stopped breathing and with another doze she could be dead. Charlotte’s doctor, who is one of the few doctors who can prescribe Marijuana as a medicine in the United States ,was well aware of the Marijuana usage as a medicine and was keen to apply this on Charlotte’s case but her parents were not sure. After all they had tried every other option and had no choice, so they decided to take a chance and paid $200 for a small bag of specially altered Marijuana, and they started to give Charlotte a doze each day. It worked, and the seizures decreased surprisingly to one from 300 a week. She can walk and talk now. There is a plant for Charlotte and other children suffering from same disorder in a green house in Colorado owned by Stanley Brothers.

5 year old Charlotte Figi standing near her plant "Charlotte's Web".

5 year old Charlotte Figi standing near her plant “Charlotte’s Web”.


So we have seen that, with some measures and limits, even a harmful drug can be proved useful. Other than Charlotte’s case, there are a number of other cases from which we can deduce that although Marijuana has it’s negative aspects but it actually can save lives.(Charlotte Figi reference from CNN’s show “Weed” by Dr. Sanjay Gupta)

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