Tariq A. Al-Maeena

 

A country that has been in the news for often the wrong reasons, Pakistan is easy to dismiss as a nation headed for trouble. Yet in spite of daily sectarian violence and bloodshed that often dominates the headlines, the country did manage to maintain some semblance of a democratic process by holding a by and large trouble-free national election.



The people have exercised their right to vote and the new government is settling in. There is also a group of concerned Pakistanis who want to make their country better and they are doing something about it. They have formed a party called Mustaqbil Pakistan, whose singular platform is to bring decency and honesty back into Pakistan politics.



The chairman of Mustaqbil Pakistan, Nadeem Mumtaz Qureshi, became alarmed by the unrestrained negative spiraling of his country’s fortunes and the media’s impotent role. Addressing the shortcomings and political bias of most of Pakistan’s major news dailies and TV channels, he sent a scathing letter to the editors of newspapers and producers of TV news programs in Pakistan:



“I am writing to all of you at a time when our nation is in danger.  And make no mistake, we are living through what is possibly one of the most dangerous periods in our history. Our very existence as a sovereign state is threatened. At a time like this it is imperative that all of us who have something positive to offer come together as one in defense of our homeland. And you, as leaders and molders of public opinion, have a vital role to play. 



“When we look at what is going wrong in Pakistan today we see multiple manifestations of failure — symptoms, if you will, of a failing or failed state: Insurgency and military conflict in two of our provinces, killings and abductions of civilians in many cities, unemployment, hopelessness, desperation, suicides, and a shocking absence of the writ of government.



“Yet, despite the multitude of distressing symptoms, the disease is relatively simple to diagnose. This is the problem: In all successful democratic states the best, most competent, most sincere of their citizens compete in politics. And it is these people – in some sense the cream of their citizenry — who then are elected and become their parliamentarians and the shapers of their destiny.



“In Pakistan the exact opposite is true. The worst, most incompetent, most corrupt, most morally bankrupt, and most insincere of our people compete in our political arena. These people — in some sense the scum of our society – are elected to our parliament and shape our destiny. Why then should any of us be surprised that Pakistan is slowly crumbling? And, let’s be clear, if this ‘scum’ continues to come back in power time and again — as it has done during the democratic phases of our history — then Pakistan will not survive.



“I am writing to you — eminent editors and producers in the print and broadcast media — to tell you that you have a crucial role to play. And to tell you that what you are doing today is not enough. The media broadcasts hours and hours of output featuring  the ‘usual culprits’: our corrupt and incompetent politicians. Your smug anchors find gratification in having these already challenged people utter inanities and spew venom on their equally inane rivals.



“And what service do you render the people of Pakistan in broadcasting these programs hour after hour, evening after evening, day after day? Have you enlightened them? Have you informed them? Have you given them hope?

“Similarly newspapers repeatedly headline mindless statements from these same politicians. For example, a serous crime occurs and the next day a headline will read: ‘Minister says he has ordered police to capture culprits!’ Is this news? Are not the police supposed to do this in any case? Had the honorable minister not so ordered would the culprits have gone scot-free? And now that he has so ordered will they be promptly caught and brought to justice?



“Ladies and gentlemen you have to rise above all of this. There are people, here, today working to change things. You need to identify them and then present them to your readers and viewers.  You need to show Pakistanis that there is hope, and that there are still people who, sometimes at the risk of their own safety, are working day and night to make Pakistan’s future brighter than its past.



“Our party has many qualified people in most cities. Call them to your shows. Interview them. Ask them about our plans and strategy. Be skeptical, be ruthless. You will be amazed, as will be your audiences and readers, by the quality and cogency of their responses. There are many, many, good, decent, sincere and competent Pakistanis working to bring change. They also deserve a chance to be heard, and you should let their ideas and agenda be heard.



“Rome is burning. You can continue to fiddle, or you can pick up a bucket and join those of us who want to do more. Sincerely, Nadeem Mumtaz Qureshi.”



Pakistan often defies logic and may not always display encouraging signs. The media has played an irresponsible role in the current state of affairs. Yet Nadeem could be one of those individuals who can make a difference and help bring about a better tomorrow.

— The author can be reached at talmaeena@aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @talmaeena