Separatists flay Pakistan media

Bollywood in, Kashmir out

By Sameer Showkin Lone

Srinagar: With India-Pakistan relations improving after 26/11Mumbai attack and both the countries set to focus on economic and other developments, the silence of Pakistan media over Kashmir has become a great concern for Kashmir’s pro-freedom camp that is terming it as unfortunate.

Most of the pro-freedom leaders, political experts, students and common masses share different opinions regarding the silence of mainstream Pakistani channels like Geo, Dawn, ARY, Samaa TV and others on Kashmir issue. Some say it “change of posture” and few term it as 'censorship for economic benefits' while pro-freedom leaders as usual call it “unfortunate”.

Noted political expert Dr Sheikh Showkat Hussain said there are two things- posture and change of policy. “Depending upon experiences I read it as posture. Pakistan’s situation is turbulent and they want to keep a degree of normalcy on eastern front,” he said.
Students in Kashmir University look it through another perspective. According to them, India is fast becoming a financial hub luring not only South Asian countries but Europe and America as well. “Pakistani media channels also looking for benefit from India. If these channels highlight sufferings of Kashmiri’s then they will never be given a downlink permission in India,” said a group of Journalism students in Kashmir University.
It has been seen in past several years that Pakistani channels, once widely highlighting various angles of the Kashmir conflict, now prioritizing Bollywood and Indian life, which has become a point of debate among the members of the civil society here.
“These channels are running programs for hours showing Indian cinema and their lifestyle but have ignored Kashmir entirely. They need to change their policy. It hurts…,” said Muhammad Maqbool, a shopkeeper in his early fifties.
“Gone are the days when everyone was eagerly waiting for Radio Pakistan Kashmir bulletin but now we have been ignored,” he said.
Meanwhile Kashmiri pro-freedom leaders are also angry over the silence of Pakistan media on “burning Kashmir issue” terming it unfortunate for Kashmiri’s and that too at a time when global community was showing keen interest to solve the long pending dispute.
JKLF Chief Mohammad Yasin Malik told Kashmir Monitor over phone that he had raised this issue during his visit to Pakistan. “There was a seminar where some 500 journalists and leaders of national stature like Imran Khan and Qazi Hussian were also present. I asked them to give wide coverage to Kashmir conflict,” said Malik.
Malik said in the seminar then he reminded the media about the Kashmir conflict and their obligation to highlight it by narrating few poetic couplets of Faiz like:
“Tere Gham Ko Jaan Ki Talaash Thi…
Tere Jaanisaar Chale Gayee,
Teri Rah Main Karte Thei Sar Talab…
Sar-e-Reh Guzar Chale Gaye”
Democratic Freedom Party Chief Shabir Ahmad Shah says it hurts when one sees Pakistan media giving preference to Indian Bollywood over the slogans of thousands of Kashmiri’s.
“Bollywood is being preferred over our slogans only for little interests. Pakistan people are with us and Pakistan is our supporter but media there has to change its policy. We hope things will change,” Shah told Kashmir Monitor during his detention in Police Station Sumbal.
Huriyat (G) Chairman Syed Ali Geelani could not be contacted as he was in police custody in Police Station Humhama, but Senior Huriyat (G) leader Pir Saifullah answered the phone and said Pakistan media has ignored Kashmiri’s for petty interests.
“But Kashmir media should not forget this long pending issue and should report what they see. Fair and unbiased reporting is the need of the time and it is also justice with this profession,” said Saifullah.

[Kashmir Monitor]