I remember filing my complaint against “Geo” last year, on the Pemra website but not even for a second did I think something would actually turn out of the issue. Especially when Chairman Pemra was removed from his position, it seemed as if this media network was undefeatable. No matter what went around, no matter who said what, they were always two steps ahead of everyone. Be it the Hindustan times planted story, the illegal license, threatening the SECP chairman, showing illegal Indian content or the tax evasion issue; they seemed to be getting away with all of it. Also, being a Kashmiri, the “Aman Ka Tamasha” really boiled my blood.
Mir Shakeel Ur Rahman’s (aka Baba jee) seat remained empty leaving us Pakistanis hopeless. People were compelled to wonder if the rich and powerful would ever be questioned. Or is the law only applicable on the poor and helpless? The “kafan ki jaibein” part was thought provoking too. Hopes were thrashed and expectations were murdered. The state, the government, the leaders, the honorable judiciary and the law had all surrendered to the disgusting ideology of a powerful media group. I even stopped watching Khara Sach as I had lost hope, even in the truth. All the evidence seemed so pointless. It was all over. The enemy had won…
But as George Weinberg said, “Hope never abandons you. You abandon it.”
Things turned around when it was least expected. Yesterday, the Sindh High Court issued notices to Pemra to implement its rules regarding airing 6% Indian content and 10% foreign content —the first step to turn this Aman ka Tamasha around. Geo’s application to dismiss the order has also been rejected. The petition in Sindh High Court was originally filed by the anchorperson of the program Khara Sach, Mubasher Lucman while the other one was filed by Amity International Pakistan advocate Mahfooz Yar Khan against the excessive foreign content being aired against Pemra regulations, foreign funding to the network as well as tax evasion of the National Bank for which under Pemra rules, the channel’s license should be suspended.
This is, however, just the beginning. After more than 6 months of utter silence and hypocrisy, not just the media but the honorable judiciary is also speaking up on the issue, while the support from the public was there all along. And now, I believe, it will strengthen even more. All lines have been crossed. All limits have been exceeded. We’ve had enough of these traitors. We’ve seen enough of this drama. They’ve tested our patience. They’ve betrayed the nation. Now, it’s time to show them what we do to those who toy around with our ideology—the two nation theory. We’ll show the world how we treat those who sell our country’s sovereignty. No doubt, we are a divided nation. But we’ll show the enemy how we can unite against the traitors among us—the enemy within.
“Meray tan ke zakam na gin abhi, Meri aankh mein abhi noor hai,
Meray bazoo’on pay nigah kr, Jo gharoor tha… Wo gharoor hai,
Tujhay naaz josh e gazand pe hai, Mujhay naz zakm e badan pe hai,
Bus yehi nama ber hai bahar ka, Jo gulaab meray kafan pe hai…!!”
Baba Jee RIP
