Journalism Pakistan
Journalism Pakistan
Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report اظہارِ رائے کی آزادی محدود، پیکا میں ترامیم سے میڈیا کو شدید دھچکا: رپورٹDawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric ڈان کی بھارتی میڈیا سے جنگی بیانیہ ترک کرنے کی اپیلIndia bans 16 Pakistani YouTube channels following Pahalgan attack پہلگام حملے کے بعد بھارت نے پاکستان کے 16 یوٹیوب چینلز پر پابندی لگا دی'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings ان اے ڈیفرنٹ ریلم کرکٹ کی عظیم ترین اننگز پر ایک فکری نقطۂ نظر پیش کرتی ہےCoordinated or coincidence? Identical tweets by Pakistani journalists raise eyebrows ہم آہنگی یا محض اتفاق؟ پاکستانی صحافیوں کے ایک جیسے ٹویٹس نے سوالات اٹھا دیےThe PSL paradox: pageantry or progress? پی ایس ایل کا تضاد: دکھاوا یا ترقی؟Sher Afzal Marwat launches personal attacks on journalists after PTI expulsion پی ٹی آئی سے نکالے جانے کے بعد شیر افضل مروت کے صحافیوں پر ذاتی حملےJournalist Sanaullah Khan alleges FIA blocking accounts of YouTubers and families صحافی ثناء اللہ خان کا انکشاف: ایف آئی اے یوٹیوبرز اور ان کے خاندانوں کے اکاؤنٹس بلاک کر رہی ہےA launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm' ان اے ڈفرنٹ ریلم کی رونمائی: ڈاکٹر نعمان نیاز کی کتاب Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning سندھی صحافی اے ڈی شر کا بہیمانہ قتل، پی ایف یو جے نے تین روزہ سوگ کا اعلان کر دیاAJK government registers case against newspaper and staff آزاد کشمیر حکومت کا اخبار اور عملے کے خلاف مقدمہJournalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges FIA threats, possible arrest over reporting صحافی آرزو کاظمی کا دعویٰ: ایف آئی اے کی دھمکیاں، رپورٹنگ پر ممکنہ گرفتاری

In the name of journalism

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published February 07, 2013 |  Z B Saigol

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In the name of journalism

KARACHI: Some individuals who brazenly call themselves journalists but are more interested in pleasing the big bosses of their news channels, getting their salaries bumped up and attempting to get their program ratings improved,  will stoop to any level to do so. In Pakistan, know this has become an acceptable practice. The viewers and public, it seems, either have short memories or simply couldn’t care a flying f---!!

I’m sick and fed up of these charlatans and opportunists, ‘pious moralists’ and televangelists who are mucking up what is an honorable and straightforward profession.

I was so pissed recently that I told my friends Steve Manuel and Imran Naeem that I might as well quit the profession. When a female anchor, who notoriously ended up benefitting to the tune of Rs1.8 million per month after having taken full advantage of the clout and influence of her powerful politician men friends to escape from what should have been a ‘live’ career-ending fiasco, it is time for real journalists to think about hanging up their gloves.

Shamelessness seems to be the flavor of the time. It also appears to be extremely lucrative.

For example, take the latest scandal to emerge from Pakistan’s media mire. It includes masseuse, women, policemen, ‘prostitutes,’ izzat/honor, morals, money, etc.; all the necessary ingredients to excite and thrill perverts or fire up the narrow-minded and self-righteous.

The previously small time anchor, Dr. Maria Zulfiqar Khan of Express News who recently came to the fore during an episode of program, Baat Say Baat, in which a group of transvestites got into an onstage ruckus that saw them tearing the clothes off each other, seems to have made ‘scandalous’ a niche her own.

And it is from such cheap and unpalatable fare that she has continued to gain notoriety, relentlessly chasing down and exposing what she considers ‘taboo’ material and generally benefitting from the suffering of others.

Her latest ‘raid’ which was conducted a la Maya Khan is a case in point and sadly reflects the dilemma of the mindset we find ourselves trapped in. What is it that we really want?

Maria leads a bunch of goon-esque police jawans into so-called illicit massage parlors. What ensues shocks indeed and dismays. While Maria bosses over the police into taking women at these parlors into custody, at the same time she ignores all human and personal rights, searching through their handbags, calling them prostitutes and much worse and generally putting on a pretentious better-than-thou attitude that genuinely offends the sensibilities.

Who gave her the authority to do such things and since when have the police been reduced to take orders from two-bit anchors?

Is this journalism?

Do journalists have the right to trample on the rights of others in the name of their profession and, worse still, pass judgments?

What is the outcome of such endeavors?

It causes more outrage than genuine concern. Somebody could get killed. It’s happened before and can happen again.

Frankly, the way I see it, all she is doing is playing with fire. Is she that naïve or blinded by ambition that she does not see that she is doing more harm than good?

Surely somebody has to pull the plug on this.

Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report

Freedom of expression shrinks in Pakistan as PECA Amendments take toll: report

 April 30, 2025:  Freedom of expression in Pakistan is under threat, as the 2025 Freedom Network report reveals increased arrests, censorship, and legal restrictions following amendments to PECA, posing serious risks to journalists and democratic values.

Dawn urges Indian media to abandon war rhetoric

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 April 30, 2025:  Dawn has criticized the Indian media's calls for war and condemned the banning of 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, urging a rational response after the Pahalgam attack that left 26 dead.

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 April 28, 2025:  India has banned 16 Pakistani YouTube channels, including major news outlets and individual journalists, following the deadly Pahalgam attack. Tensions escalate as Islamabad demands a neutral probe.

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 April 23, 2025:  Pakistani journalists respond in unison to a post hinting at a possible Indian military strike. Citing the 2019 ‘Swift Retort,’ they warn of a stronger response if provoked again.

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A launch in style: Dr. Nauman Niaz unveils 'In A Different Realm'

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 April 20, 2025:  Dr. Nauman Niaz launched his fifteenth book, In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple and Triple Centuries 1876–2025, at an elegant Islamabad event, reflecting on cricket’s rarest feats and his journey as a scholar of the game.

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

Sindhi journalist AD Shar brutally murdered, PFUJ declares three-day mourning

 April 11, 2025:  Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.

Newsroom
'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

'In A Different Realm' offers a philosophical take on cricket's greatest innings

 April 23, 2025 Discover Dr. Nauman Niaz’s In A Different Realm: Story of Quadruple & Triple Centuries 1876–2025, a profound exploration of cricket's most monumental innings, blending historical analysis with poetic narrative.​

The PSL paradox: pageantry or progress?

The PSL paradox: pageantry or progress?

 April 22, 2025 Once a beacon of hope for Pakistan's cricket revival, the Pakistan Super League now grapples with stagnation and moral compromises. Can this cultural symbol reclaim its lost soul?

Italian newspaper embraces AI, praises its irony and insight

Italian newspaper embraces AI, praises its irony and insight

 April 21, 2025 An Italian newspaper, Il Foglio, successfully published a month-long AI-written insert and praised its irony and analytical abilities, while affirming that AI will complement—not replace—quality journalism.

Nominations open for IPI’s 2025 Press Freedom Awards

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Journalist burned alive while reporting Kathmandu protest

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