Pakistan’s political class has been trashed far more than it should be in the news media. Our politicians might be no angels but they also constitute some of the best that our nation has to offer. And they certainly are guilty of much less in our current state of affairs when compared to the military, the bureaucracy, the business community and the clergy.
One popular opinion about them is that they are thuggish ruffians, all of them. That is an unfair assessment. Yes, in the boondocks, nearly all of the local politicians have their own musclemen but so does the other guy. It is an unsteady peace, but relative peace nonetheless. Constantly “on”, the politicians always try to ensure that things between two independent groups don’t lead to violence, if only for strictly political, vote-getting reasons. It is not for nothing that across the nation, it is the politicians whose services are sought for conflict resolutions and out of court settlements.
The Tube, you would have surmised, is pro-politician. However, there are two parties that he would like to completely keep out of this list: the Jamat-e-Islami and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement.
It is sad that Pakistan’s two most organised parties are also Pakistan’s only two fascist parties. Yes, I know, in certain liberal circles, using the F-word for the MQM is passe. Since the MQM, a perennial beneficiary of the establishment, is currently at odds with the military, The Tube’s like minded pro-democracy friends aren’t too thrilled when there is talk against the MQM. But I have to call things like I see them, if only for the benefit of the total of seven people who read this column.
It is interesting how the media treats the mere mention of these two political parties. Not too long ago, in the previous government, when all was well between the MQM and the powers that be, there were a spate of arrests of target killers in Karachi by the PPP government. The government had hauled up assassins from all parties, including its own. It was back then, when one heard newscasters saying, “The arrested target killers were from the Awami National Party, the Pakistan People’s Party and another political party.”
And this line was delivered unironically and completely unselfconsciously. It was only slightly later that the term na maloom afraad actually did start to be made fun of. Now, of course, the party’s chokehold over the city has dissipated because of strained relations with the military. So this freedom to refer to the MQM directly in the media will remain in place till things patch up again.
The recent scuffle between students of the Jamat-e-Islami’s student wing, the Islami Jamiat-e-Tulaba, and a Pashtun students’ association at the Punjab University is another such incident where certain sections of the press exercised a laughable degree of caution.
The Pashtuns were celebrating their cultural day over at the varsity, for which they had taken prior permission. Song and dance being an integral part of said culture, there was much music to which the IJT did not take too kindly and they sent their goons to break up the party. Despite the relative efficiency of the IJT’s media and social media cells, it was clear to all, including media outfits, that they were the villains of the piece.
The media was still rife with talk of “aik siyasi jamaat ki tulaba tanzeem.” Take the Goddamn name!
And now, though it is absolutely, completely irrelevant, barring the business of taking names, but only because The Tube wants to appear cultured, a couplet by the great Jaun Elia:
Sharm, Dah’shat, Jhijhak, Pareshaani,
Naaz se kaam Kyu’n nahi leti
“Aap, Woh, Jee, Magar” yeh sab Kya hai,
Tum Mera NAAM Kyu nahi leti?!
