Related article: PPP’s Media Policy and the Code of Conduct – by Ahmad Khan Lodhi

In last couple of months, PPP has wasted many opportunities to bury Media and PML-N in the same grave. The blunders committed by the PML-N were of very serious nature.

• PPP was removed from Punjab coalition
• Killing of Salmaan Taseer
• Raymond Davis issue
• Killing of Shabaz Bhatti
• Shahbaz Sharif’s statement on Army-Judiciary-Politicians to sit together

In all above situations, if PPP had smart people on talk shows they could have easily buried the right wingers and media. For God’s sake improve your media team. It is urgent need to bring in media professionals to brief people before appearing on these ludicrous talk shows. Teach them how to behave in front of the camera & how to be precise to the topic under discussion. EITHER PUT UP OR SHUT UP.

If PPP has boycotted Jang Geo I would say boycott all as you don’t have good people representing you. If you don’t have media savvy people representing you just stop letting them appear on any talk show at all. I had written few months back that why in God’s name do we have MNA of one ministry speaking on the matters relating to other ministry. Are they champion of everything. Easiest way is if talk show host brings up constitutional questions tell them it is for law minister to discuss not us. Talk show hosts are very clever and they easily get PPP walas off the track.

First we hada  soft spoken lady Sherry Rehman, good that she was removed then we got Kaira who was somewhat reasonable but he never had the bite enough. The new one is Dr. Firdous Ashiq Awan. She has too much of Musharraf era baggage that she is carrying. We need to bring sharp tongued, well versed on PPP matters & history since its inception till today. You can’t have someone defending PPP or its policies who has joined PPP in 2008 before that he or she was opposing PPP on every step. We need die hard PPP wala on important ministries. I would request PM & President to look into cabinet portfolios and bring honest & die hard PPP walas representing us on the media.

In first incident, PML-N was on back foot due to some out of the blue soft punching by the media but PPP didn’t do anything at all. Salman Taseer & Shabaz Bhatti issue was enough to bury the right wingers but PPP lost the opportunity by not aggressively putting forward their point of view. Instead they took two steps backwards due to media onslaught of “blaming the victim”. Shahbaz Bhati’s killing was purely pinned on federal government for not providing enough security. No one spoke boldly to push back the media’s blaming the victim approach.

Shahbaz then again baffled everybody when he said Army, Judiciary & politicians should sit together. He basically walked home free on such blunderous statement. PPP didn’t capitalize on that either. They should have easily brought their midnight meeting with COAS along with this statement. About deep links of PML-N with judiciary, Why are we not exploring deep relationship PML-N (right wingers) and Judiciary like Faisal Raza Abdi blew open Khwaja Sharif’s close links with Sharif brothers.

Raymond Davis issue, PPP is getting hammered from all sides. Old buffoon generals, bureaucrats and turncoat politicians are pinning down PPP. Bring on your good stuff to push back these yapping buggers. I am also surprised that why this case of Diyat (sharia) law has not been tied to Nawaz Sharif who made this law in 1990. Why right wingers are now opposing Sharia Law. Salman Taseer & Shabaz Bhatti did the same thing but media & right wingers silenced their voices for ever. Is their anyone who can shut their mouths on this issue at least. Our PPP ministers lack the credibility to be taken seriously. How come the opposition leader under the shade of his wig is blaming it on PPP.

Whose prosecution was he under, who has close judicial links, whose police was doing investigations, whose directions were being followed from Mazang Chungi to Lakh Pat jail the answer to all that is PUNJAB. Then just how conveniently Sharif brothers are away in London.

I would love to have Raza Rabbani, Taj Haider and Aitizaz Ahsan (even though dont like him too much) defending PPP government policies on the talk shows.

PPP please leave your kachra ministers at home they are not our poster children. Dig out some old PPP patriotic people bring them back into the fold, listen to some of their grievances. If PPP can forgive their die hard opponents then it should not be hard to forgive and forget some of our own opposing personalities. PPP umbrella should be large enough to bear criticism of its own and still be part of PPP. I would love to see PPP dig out old Jiyala leaders from underneath the dust.

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