Two Indian journalists Reza-u-Hassan Laskar and Anita Joshua of Press Trust of India and The Hindu newspaper respectively are posted to Islamabad whereas no Pakistani journalist is posted in India. These two journalists, sponsored by their respective employers are very popular amongst the Pakistani journalistic community. Though they may not be restricted to Islamabad only but can move around with the permission of ministry of interior. Their inter-action with local and other foreign journalists based in Pakistan wherein feeding of information on sensitive issues is reciprocated, facilitates them to provide first hand/insiders version on sensitive issues to their respective agencies /government.
Notwithstanding the modus operandi of these journalists in Pakistan, their prompt dispatch of reports on Pakistan’s sensitive events to their country make glaring headlines not only in Indian electronic media but print media as well though mostly negative. It is ironic that Pakistan’s news agencies have not thought of placing their journalists in India. With rich Pakistani media tycoons placement of journalists in India should not be a problem at all. It will not only facilitate them with latest news on India for their outlets but also generate good will in the Indian journalistic community.
The role of foreign media in Pakistan has been mostly reflective of issues that arise from the country’s diverse fabric of society. Their stories have been mostly based on their respective perceptions on issues that time and again crop up on Pakistan’s political, military and security horizons and are sometimes one sided or often devoid of facts. John Pilger, the famous Australian journalist and documentary maker based in London says in one of his top most documentaries titled, ‘The War That You Don’t See’ narrates that while ‘professional’ journalists, especially broadcasters, present themselves falsely as a neutral species, truth doesn’t stand a chance.”
The field of journalism is vast and its effective exploitation has often re-coursed the destinies of nations. In today’s volatile regional political and security environment it is extremely essential that Pakistan also deputes two of its journalists to India on reciprocal basis as jointly agreed in 1994 between the two countries. Analysing in the deeper perspective, the placement will have innumerable benefits not only for the Pakistani journalistic community but also for establishment of peace and tranquillity between the two countries. If our media tycoons cannot afford to place their journalists in India on their own it is highly recommended that the state must pool in to co-sponsor the journalists in India for the benefits are too many for all us in Pakistan.
ENGINEERJAVED IQBAL
Islamabad
