There is one thing about Pakistani bloggers (and our media, for that matter) that I find very distasteful: Government-bashing. It doesn’t matter who is in power, as long as they hold the seat, it seems Pakistanis must hate them.
Consider this. This government has done more for this country than all our previous leaders put together. How many of you can see that? The opposition has consistently, over the past 19 years (as government and opposition, in fact), neglected their own constituencies and responsibilities to spend their time engaged in verbal (and in some cases, physical) warfare, while the bloggers and media have egged them on. This is patriotism? Go to any country across the world – people in democratic countries understand the importance of letting a government get on with their job. Where they intervene is when their representatives are NOT doing their job. They get involved when it matters. Not ours:
- The CJ issue: across the board, our bloggers have ranted against Musharraf on this issue, supporting numerous lawyers and politicians neglecting the “common man” to cry about the independent judiciary. First of all, an independent judiciary is a waste of time when all your judges and lawyers are inherently corrupt. Where are our bloggers when it comes to the fact that our entire system is mired in corruption? Do you think the “common man” is interested in whether the removal of a CJ was constitutional or not? Don’t you think his/her bigger concern is getting justice for themselves on an everyday basis? Why aren’t any of you talking about the fact that this is the first time in the HISTORY OF PAKISTAN, that LAWFUL proceedings have been brought against a Judge? EVERY other Chief Justice ever removed from our system (including under “democratic” governments of PPP and PML-N) has been unconstitutional. Where are those blogs?
- Class Inequities: How many bloggers out here have servants? How many have blogged about the lack of financial opportunities for the lower class to bring them out of their poverty? Maybe this is a non-issue for bloggers sitting in their air-conditioned homes, on their hi-tech computers, eating McDonalds while bitching at the government (much more important than teaching your housekeeper’s kid how to read, or finding gainful employment for them, right?). This is an issue we can all do something about. How many of you do it?
- The May 12th riots: OH MY GOD! Yes, what happened then was terrible. It wasn’t one-sided, though so many people choose to ignore the full story (including our lame, tabloid media – none of them can be called credible with their lack of judgement or investigative insights). How many of you were out on the streets or writing in during Benazir’s Operation Clean-up when 15,000 Pakistanis were killed? The Rangers were ordered then to shoot on sight. If this government had let the Rangers out again on May 12, we would have been up in arms for the atrocities committed by them. Since the government failed to feed the frenzy, we’ve found other ways to rant against them. How many of you remember Shahbaz Sharif’s “encounter” killings? How many of you blog about that?
- Imran Khan: he publicly endorsed Condaleeza Rice denigrating our PM. Forget for a moment that you hate PML-Q, or the current PM. How dare someone from the “Great Satan” say ANYTHING about MY Prime Minister? They have their own leadership problems, and while I can say whatever I want about MY Prime Minister, I won’t tolerate outsiders making fun of him. And yet, Imran Khan, the Great Patriot, ENDORSED her comments. Imran Khan needs to go apply for UK citizenship. He obviously hates this country. Yet our bloggers can’t seem to get beyond his accomplishments in cricket. While he’s managed to do absolutely NOTHING in politics to suggest that he may even have a say in the running of the country, our bloggers are head-over-heels for the venom that constantly spews out of his mouth.
- The politicians: how about a rally to protest the lack of actual work that our politicians do while acting as our representatives? If any of us were to try and contact our MPAs or MNAs, we wouldn’t find them in their offices. Most of them hold private jobs, and while they collect their monthly paycheck, with benefits, from OUR taxes, they spend the majority of their time earning money through other means. They don’t attend assemblies, they hardly engage in meaningful debate on the floor, they don’t survey their constituencies to evaluate problems and possible solutions, they hardly ever offer any bills for review. All they do is make ridiculous, un-proven statements on the media, and march against issues that have no bearing on the “common man.” Where is the blogger that is demanding that they give up moonlighting and actually work for the position they were elected to? The democratic process does NOT mean get out on the streets and protest. It means actually doing the job they came for. Our bloggers are too busy signing petitions and bitching about the government to even think of these things.
- The Pakistan Lexicon: Whenever the world refers to Pakistan nowadays, the words “terror” and “dictatorship” and “Corruption” are not far behind. As bloggers, we have the opportunity to change the framework of this lexicon, of adding words that will change the image of the country, like “financial stability”, “peace”, “freedom” – I say freedom because the fact of the matter is that despite the odd banned blog/website, and the occasional reprisal for printed or aired stories, the people in Pakistan have NEVER been this free to express themselves in the history of the country. Give us a good thing, and we have to find fault, somehow. It doesn’t seem to be in our nature to be content with what we have, we have to have more. Where are the positives, the solutions, the steps forward? No blogger offers these, with very few exceptions.
In Pakistan, it seems that emotion is paramount, and sides are taken. Most of all, we indulge in the people’s favorite pastime: bash whoever’s in power. If this was a PPP government, we’d be bitching about their policies and praising the Musharraf government. That is the Pakistani way. The first step to being a patriotic citizen is reason, not emotion. You may have whatever political affiliations you want, but the good of the country has to supersede that, and if you can’t step beyond the petty squabbles of our political leaders, then please don’t pretend to be a patriotic citizen. You aren’t.
Times change. People change. People with absolute power (read: military dictators) change even more. Musharraf is no exception.
Take a close look at the current make up of his govt. – it is no better than the previous few,
Perhaps you didn’t read the post. Check it again, and then read Freedom to Depress (http://www.imedia-emagine.com/whisk/2007/05/28/freedom-to-depress/). As bloggers, we have the right to say what we want on our blogs. Unfortunately, that means baseless allegations, finger-pointing and sensationalism. That’s the picture we present to the world.
As far as Musharraf’s govt. goes, the fact is that we as a nation are pathetic. We keep re-electing the same tired old hacks, self-serving, loathsome money men (and women) who care more for the depth of their pockets than anything else. However, this ‘dictator’ brought about two things essential for a stable democratic process: the devolution of power, and freedom of the press. However much everyone wants to deny it, this press is freer than it has ever been. Too bad we don’t know what to do with it.
The bigger problem is that while we are willing to forgive murderers and thieves their sins, we seem to find a military uniform unbearable. Does that make sense to you? Criticism and a strong oppsition are essential to maintain a balance of power, but our criticisms are neither balanced nor targeted at the right issues. THAT is the crux of this post.
You may have a lot of important arguments to support your claim but practically in all arguments you try to reason with the past – asking the bloggers where were they 4 years back or even more. You very well know blogging did not exists back then. This concept is of citizen journalism took birth at least in Pakistan only two years ago – challenge us now, don’t challenge each argument with the past.
1- CJ issue – I believe its wrong, that’s my opinion, I have the right to say what I want, hence I publish it on my blog, if you like it good enough, if you don’t too bad, make your own opinion but at least you can involve yourself in a debate and hence start a democratic process
2- Class Inequities – Yes I live in an AC home, don’t you? Do I care about my servants and the poor – damn yes and I will not degrade their status here to itemize the things I do for the poor as I feel such issues are not meant to be said publicly and remain to be adjudged by the grace of Allah. But I assure you its not hot-air but more closer to reality.
3- May 12 – BB issue and Shahbaz Sharif issue: you very well know blogs came into existence only a few years back, name one incident of grave political concern that has gone unreported since then. Dont question bloggers for something in the past – question them for what has been done now. If it were not for the independent media and a small part for the free speaking blogging community a lot may have gone hidden – call it the unlucky strike but May 12 was the first moment when blogging had the opportunity to shine (lets not also forget the efforts during the 2005 earthquake as well) – more opportunities will come. some may follow your argument ‘to side with the govt’ and some may go the opposite way – that’s the democratic way. Independent bloggers cannot be forced or asked to do balanced reporting as citizen journalism is one persons analysis of an issue and you can go to read a number of first hand blog reports allowing you to decipher the reality, accept the fact that citizen journalism is NOT fair and balanced as its one persons free opinion – if you still want fair and balanced news turn to Fox News for everything but
4- Imran Khan – well to be honest he has proven himself to be a man after all, his statements on AH – were spot on, and everyone was chickenshit scared to say anything beyond the drawing room doors. Without doubt he has gone a couple of notches higher since the two days – will he be a major political entity in this coming elections – difficult, but he is now a definite voice to reckon with and no longer can be shrugged aside. Cricket days are long forgotten I and many don’t romance him as such – if its in your mind then its time you got over it as well.
As regards to Your PM – please address the Steel Mill corruption angle before you start sticking your neck out for Your PM. Sadly I like Your PM for the ‘economic boom’ he has created, the textile sector is on its knees – The real estate boom is only a fabrication of the military might wanting to mint money from their DHA plots, but the boom is now creeping and bleeding from the surge it took 2 years back – the money squarely landed in the pockets of a number of Army personnel. The only industry pitching in the high numbers is the banking sector which is making tons in the ‘spread’ differential (if you don’t know this scam refer to a banking individual who may explain to you the millions being made on the spread) Another common keyword shoved in our face when defending the economy is the PSDP which is based on US AID projects/tenders which are yet again to be another massive bumper crop in this new budget as well – majority of US AID projects in reality are just pieces of paper being pushed around each year with very little cash materializing from them – and our finance minister knows this for a fact but uses it year after year to grab the headlines – Your PM has served well for all the elite of Pakistan – he played their tunes to the note – but the poor are getting poorer, while the rich get richer. Example being that the basic commodities continue to climb to astonishing prices and getting out of reach from the poor, if the economy was so up-beat then whats happening to the lower class – they are screaming there is absolutely no relief coming down to the poor — please refer back to your point 2 – I think you have no clue as to what the real problem with your servants are yet you ask bloggers to help them out (probably more so since you have no idea what to do with them) – I know as I interact with the underprivileged quite frequently when I am able to visit the large katchi abadis.
5- Politicians –
the juicy bit – seriously are you calling these military dictators as politicians – how interesting, this is the same Army general who makes money as a serving general and also gets the stipend as President of Pakistan amongst other perks – you are talking about the puppet assembly o littered with PML MNA etc. to be honest I have been after these ruthless people for sometime, good to see that you have also joined my brigade – You will have to go back a few months to read one of my posts – many accuse it to be over exaggerated, read it and then I hope its enough to say that at least I tried and just not limit this long post to hot-air. Salary of a Pakistani MNA
6- Pakistan Lexicon – I cannot agree with you more on the fact that the media is free – yes it is far freer then ever before – credit to Musharraf – given. but if you want me to blog about the good things in Pakistan while my city burns underneath, is not me, I speak my heart, I speak what I see is the truth, if you want to present a ‘good’ picture to the west – go right ahead, its your democratic right to do so. You accuse me of being unpatriotic – that draws my line – since I think if you knowingly hide a crime / injustice you can actually be accused of being part of the problem itself.
Response to your comment above where you claim Musharraf has to be credited with ‘devolution of power’ !!!!! WOW are you living in Pakistan? do you know what the army is up to – for example the Education Minister is Lt. Gen. (Retd) Javed Ashraf (Civil qualifications – M.Sc. War Studies and M.Sc. Strategic Studies) – WOW do we not have a single PhD in education to head that ministry that we have to find a war studies specialist to lead this ministry? The list goes on and on showing that this country is ruled by those faithful to Musharraf quite contrary from the devolution of power that you have pictured in your mind. Devolution of Power is when when you allow qualified professional people to take up positions and then empower them to make decisions to create change – The present Pakistani bureaucracy is at present without a single person that has the guts to challenge Musharraf – otherwise he/she get thrown out – he has done that in the army to a great extent — rooting out all the probable detractors and has surrounded himself with kiss-my-@$$ variety.
Sorry for the extra long comment – you have your right to say what you feel, I support the positive Pakistan attitude but sadly not when my country burns within. Will all my ranting create positive change – I think it already has, people are speaking up and are more willing to be a part of the truth as compared to the overall perception one year back – I feel truth is far more powerful then a cover-up-the-negativity-positive-Pakistan attitude. But then again this is my opinion and you have the right to differ
Wow! Are you a tad condescending, or what?
While you may have just started blogging a couple of years back, blogging in Pakistan has been around at least since 2001 – but your comments have just proven my point (which, again, you don’t seem to have gotten). Just because the bloggers didn’t begin blogging until a few years ago, shouldn’t mean that they are incapable of offering any substantive commentary on past events. Nothing that happens in the present occurs in isolation. The machinery of corruption and self-servitude is ingrained very, very deep in our country, and by ignoring the past, we are simply throwing matches at a lit flame.
By your standards, ‘citizen journalists’ in Pakistan are incapable of research, or analysis or providing historical context to any situation, and should obviously be relegated to nothing more than idle rants about idle events. If we, as a blogging community, want to be taken seriously, we have to offer more than just our opinions.
You certainly have a right to your opinions on the issues listed here. My point is, why don’t our bloggers air these opinions with some substance, some fact, and across a wider range of subjects than I have seen so far?
I have rediscovered this substantial blog today. About the issue in this post: Pakistan blogsphere, some excellent exceptions notwithstanding (like KO, Teeth Maestro and some more), has not yet matured. It lacks originality, diversity, and worst of all local contents.
very interesting, but I don’t agree with you
Idetrorce