Pay up – by Shahid Saeed
President Zardari is on a multi-state tour and is currently in Kuwait after having visited Japan, and stopping over in Dubai. I caught just fifteen minutes of the usual fire breathing heads on the idiot-box complaining about expenditure on official visits. Being conservative on spending is necessary, I agree but here’s a partial list of people I would like to come forward and repay the public money that was wasted on taking them abroad.
Taking the media on state visits for them to be covered by the press and allowing journalists to interact with their counterparts in the visiting countries to establish exchange of opinion and ideas are very worthy justification. BUT, state media i.e. PTV and APP, for whom we pay, already accompany the President and Prime Minister on state visits. This is private media and they should be technically paying for themselves. But, yeah taking them on the official plane might not cost extra money you’d say, but then we pay their hotel expenditure too. I have heard almost all arguments in justification of taking private media personnel along for a ride and the benefits and positive impacts, but a) we still shouldn’t be paying for their hotel accommodation and the entire kitchen loads of food they eat, and b) they should start be refusing to “accompany” on state visits rather than plead for greater number of visits to be hitched along for if they want to have any ethical and moral grounds for their shouting on excessive state visits. In short, these lifafas are a burden on the national kitty.
This was just a very partial list. There are dozens of others who go on many state trips, most notably non-journalists i.e oped writers like Javed Chaudhary who are taken on almost all visits since they can “influence” public opinion through their lies (Mr Chaudhary, on a recent paid trip to the US wrote an entire oped on airport security since it appears he was angry why his moustache didn’t get special treatment).
So, Javed Chaudhary and all others, reimburse the public kitty with the $$$$ that was spent to take you abroad, keep you well fed and comfy in hotels and bring your corrupt asses back. I’m yet to start with your “journalist colony” and allotments in PHA and FGEHF besides your plots.
PS : These journalists are living in the Gulshan-e-Jinnah Complex (F-5/1, just behind Marriott) and Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai Complex in the heart of Islamabad, illegally, at subsidized rates. These lodges and suits are meant for top babus, despicable as they are, but journalists living them are availing subsidized rates of Rs. 6,000 per month in the age when you cannot get a single room apartment in the most downtrodden of areas at 6,000.
The names of these shining beacons of journalism are : Naveed Miraj, Zahid Jhangvi, Mushtaq Minhas, Sameer Ahmed, Rao Khalid Mehmood, Malik Manzoor, Tariq Mehmood Summair, Amir Ilyas Rana, Sajjad Tareen, Zahid Mehmood Malik, Sabir Shakir, Wajid Rasool, Khizar Hayat Klasra and Mazhar Tufail, Syed Moshin Raza and Syed Mujtaba Rizwan.
Perhaps Mushtaq Jamaat-e-Islami Minhas would like to reimburse the public the monies he has stolen from them before he opens his mouth next time on TV.
Source : Shahid’s Blog
The media has been bastardized I have to admit….These so-called media saviors are themselves “Hamam Mein Nanga”….
Thank you, Shahid, for exposing the hypocrisy of the moral brigade.
This article reminds me of the following post by Ahmed:
Saleh Zaafir should be taken to foreign trips more often http://criticalppp.com/archives/10113
We have highlighted recently the land deals for Nazir Naji, Rauf Klasra and Mohammad Malick and the dangerous ideological affiliations (pro-Taliban) of superstars like Kamran Khan, Hamid Mir and Ansar Abbasiwho have since the Ch Iftikhar upheaval become the darlings of the couch-potato public through their TV appearances.
And there is the lovely Amir Liaquat who wows the ladies with his Alim Online, while everyone knows about him hoodwinking the public about his fake degrees. The ignorance spread by such religious programs anchored by crooks becomes difficult to counter by the saner elements in society.
What common between these guys?
They all belong to the Jang group which is led by Mir Shakeel ur Rahman and Bros.
The Jang group is faithfully supported by the likes of Shaheen Sehbai and Imran Aslam and other editors who pretty much keep mum while the Jang group rolls in the millions from advertising revenue.
It is therefore important that those interested in fair reporting in Pakistan carefully consider the following survey report. Note the names of Geo and Jang:
The National Corruption Perception Survey 2009 (NCPS 2009) indicates that the overall Corruption in 2002 has increased from Rs 45 Billion to Rs 195 Billion in 2009.
To the question “In your opinion has media played a positive role in combating corruption, 77% said yes.
Respondents ranking of four most viewed TV Channel are Geo, ARY, Express and Aaj.
Four News paper in readership ranking are Jang, Nawae Waqat, Dawn and Mashriq.
WE WISH TO SET A CHALLENGE FOR JOURNALISTS AND MANAGEMENT OF ARY, EXPRESS AND AAJ AS WELL AS NAWAE WAKT, DAWN AND MASHRIQ TO DO INVESTIGATIVE STORIES ABOUT THE DARK SHEEP IN THEIR PROFESSION.
IT IS TOO EASY TO THROW DIRT ON OTHERS; ONLY WHEN JOURNALISTS CAN INVESTIGATE THEIR PEERS WILL THEY RESTORE THEIR TRUST WITH THE PUBLIC.
OUR HOPES FOCUS ON THE YOUNGER UNTAINTED LOT OF YOUNG REPORTERS AND JOURNALISTS TO EXPOSE THE ROT THROUGH BLOGS AND LISTS.
BECAUSE IT IS NEAR-IMPOSSIBLE FOR THE REGULAR MEDIA CHANNELS TO TAKE THIS UP.
WE ALSO APPEAL TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE (OR EQUIVALENT) OF THE NATIONAL JOURNALISTS’ UNION TO PROBE THIS MATTER AND PUNISH THOSE WHO ARE GUILTY AND TO LAY DOWN GUIDELINES TO REDUCE THE CHANCES OF CORRUPTION IN THEIR MIDST.
If you agree with the above, please forward this message to your friends so that we jointly push for clean, trustworthy journalism in Pakistan.
Syed Inam Alavi, Ph.D.
Columbia Journalism School, NYC,
(For Yellow Journalism Watch)
http://pakalert.wordpress.com/2009/08/14/fighting-the-corrupt-journalists-in-pakistan/
Who is the luckiest journalist in the list who has visited the following places:
USA-UK: July 26, 2008
Egypt: July 14-17, 2008
Sri Lanka, Aug 1-4, 2008
US: Sept 21-27, 2008
China: October 12 – 18 2009
Germany/UK: Nov 30 – Dec 3, 2009
UK/USA: April 10-14, 2010
Bhutan: April 27-30, 2010
Belgium / Spain: Jun 1-4, 2010
None other than Saleh Duffer from Jang/The News. I wish I was a blackmailer too…I mean journalist
How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Jiyala says: February 27, 2011 at 3:43 am How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Apna Gireban – Government Funded Hajj Facility for Journalists – Ep 05 – Part 5 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvxYWyWdHs&feature=related
Jiyala says: February 27, 2011 at 3:43 am How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Apna Gireban – Government Funded Hajj Facility for Journalists – Ep 05 – Part 4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YDxUdKA9BUk&feature=related
Jiyala says: February 27, 2011 at 3:43 am How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Apna Gireban – Government Funded Hajj Facility for Journalists – Ep 05 – Part 3 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf8Kgu0LJ34&feature=related
Jiyala says: February 27, 2011 at 3:43 am How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Apna Gireban – Government Funded Hajj Facility for Journalists – Ep 05 – Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaKCYa0NdOo&feature=related
Jiyala says: February 27, 2011 at 3:43 am How about free Hajis??? is there a list of those?
Apna Gireban – Government Funded Hajj Facility for Journalists – Ep 05 – Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq5Rv4w5Tts&feature=related
Secret Funds of Information Ministry Pakistan for Journalists – Part – 1 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eunHFSGsH_8
Secret Funds of Information Ministry Pakistan for Journalists – Part – 2 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdtEX4d33Rw
Secret Funds of Information Ministry Pakistan for Journalists – Part – 3 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BD3v9Z1mec
Secret Funds of Information Ministry Pakistan for Journalists – Part – 4 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52gmAYDlUfE
Secret Funds of Information Ministry Pakistan for Journalists – Part – 5 (Matiullah Jan Dawn News)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zienT3k-S18