Chowrangi

In the initial days of emergency, after the closure of all the news channels, I was forced to watch Pakistan Television. My eyes popped out of their sockets, when I saw that PTV was still there where I left it some years back.

Same Khabarnama, same crap about the activities of President and Prime Minister, same pictures of minister switching on bulbs and opening the taps with clownish and wolfish smiles, same stale dramas, same itchy music, and same hellish approach.

News by PTV is the biggest farce on the earth. I am not quite sure about whether the state TV of Myanmar is more bigger liar than the PTV or not, but PTV surely breaks the records. In News, it was told to me by a morose newscaster that after the promulgation of emergency in the country, everything has come to its normal state. There is no problem literally anywhere in the country, and even the street crimes are becoming a rarity.

PTV also enlightened me that people of all walks of life have heaved a sigh of relief over the emergency, and PTV also showed interview by some “common” public who was so happy that now judiciary couldn’t interfere in the affairs of state. Some were looked sad, because they wanted Martial Law. They also showed some students with books and heavy glasses, who looked badgered enough, but managed to utter some words in the favour of the regime’s policies.

PTV is in the limelight nowadays, and boy are they basking in the glory. They can rightly claim right now that PTV is the most viewed channel in Pakistan, and its viewer-ship is as wide as the nation. But then they were making the same claims even when the private channels were here anyway.

I have only one complain to make when they lift the emergency. The good thing about lifting the emergency is that all the private channels including the foreign channels like CNN and BBC would be here again. The bad thing about the termination of emergency is that PTV would still be here, polluting our atmosphere.

Other posts by Commoner

• Balloting Process for President - September 6th, 2008
• President in Making..... - September 6th, 2008
• Zardari Makes Final Moves - September 5th, 2008
• After Angoor Adda, Another Strike - September 5th, 2008
• Angoor Adda: US led NATO Forces launch first ground attack in Pakistan - September 4th, 2008
• Choked Life - September 4th, 2008
• Looming Fears - September 3rd, 2008
• Gilani's Escape - September 3rd, 2008
• Threats with Love - September 2nd, 2008
• Another Truce and TTP - September 2nd, 2008