A Sign of Things To Come?

It is clearly a good sign that this is happening. But for how long?

August is not too far away and the ``K`` factor looms once again.


Ras

Pakistan once was a progressive society, a tolerant and an open one. I remember Taaleem-e-Baalghan. Bring that show back and create more shows like that on PTV and I’d then believe that Pakistan is perhaps becoming a better country.

yes ...there Is .....a Desire...

The Time lag is too Long.... between two countries who ....share a common history....

But lets not get carried away by emotions...


there are Hard Cold political realities......to consider.....


and I wish they were not there...

hey omar,

read this earlier, good piece :). u know i actually saw the fuzon video after going through this cuz the band`s been disappointing of late. resham looked a tad spaced out during the entire thing me thinks.

Quraishi,

This really laughable, you are findings signs of change in the most banal, the most trivial and simply shows your bias. Why didnt you mention the the discussion on kashmir that was shown befor it and the special feature on jihad shown an hour later.

Take it from me, nothing has changed in pakistan. These are all trivia to keep the UN and the WB money to keep coming. What ever the peace talk that is taking place is not the outcome of some fundamental rethinking in the pak society, it is simple the outcome the shocks from the electrid prods used by the international community.
A generation of palkistanis have grown up through the k for kafir education system, the children of TNT. Only a violent intervention like in iraq can change pakistan.
Here is a news for you, the yanks are telling that if osama is not delivered befior july, they will move in and get him. Well, that shows what pak army is about, no one is buying the wana tamasha and the hunt for osama, and take it from me, no one in india is buying this one TV show also. Pathetic, especially knowing that you are some kind of a staff at a pak newspaper

listen you moron -- and actually in this case it isn`t a matter of opinion but a statement of fact -- if i wanted to do a write up on the kashmir file then it wouldn`t be an article on urmila`s visit to pakistan -- you must be mental in the head, seriously, to link an article like this to wana -- i suppose it`s true what they say (on the board to feroz khan`s article) about morons like you -- this article actually isn`t really laughable (anyways, a moron like you obviously cannnot tell that it makes no intellectual pretensions), what is quite laughable is your response to it -- and by the way here is news for you -- the story about osama came in a pakistani newspaper -- the same ones you make fun of -- actually even a revolution(ary) kick in your ass won`t make a human being out of you

RE#6

Qureshi sahib:

kya aap bhi..chReye jaaney dijye naa...kyooN ignorance key mooN lagtey heiN.

#6, quraishi:
Your outburst to a cynical comment is more portentous than anything that jay (#5) said. Do not forget there are opponents of Indo-Pakistani rapprochement on both sides of the border. What is important is to maintain goodwill and augment it whenever, realistically possible.
When nations are divided as in case of Germany, Korea or India it takes alot to restore goodwill. A further complication in case of India is the chimerical fantasy that people themselves wanted the division. Actually, people were (mis)led to believe that a fair living condition -for both Hindus and Muslims - cannot be developed in free India without the protective interference of the British.
India with its record has shattered that illusion. But it takes hard work to neutralize the groups that have benefitted materially from the imposed division. Patient plodding on the parts of people on both sides of the border with insistence on fair working conditions leading to reconciliation will be needed for the development of scenario adumbrated in your video program.
It is significant that the producers of the show chose women to convey the message. It is not only attention getting but indicative of the real constituency that desires the change. Women on both sides will gain the maximum from the resolution of bitterness between the two sides of the border.

#6

Hmm, Jay`s post must have hit a nerve somewhere...wonder why? Since you did not refute it, can I assume that there indeed WAS discussion on Kashmir before and special feature on Jihad after?

I truly appreciate the class embodied in that response. Showed a lot of class -- true class perhaps? So, if you of all people, can lose all objectivity and resort to personal attacks just because someone does not agree with your point of view, what stops others from responding in kind to you?

You call yourself a journalist?!!

About #5: I have no comments, except that, dear author, any such concerns are genuine and must be considered while attempting to move forward on the Path to Peace. Cynicism isn`t always misplaced, and I believe that neither countries should hurl themselves in the direction of peace without first settling, at least to some degree, the cynics. At any rate, Jay doesn`t appear to be a first degree ynic..... as in he/she has only pointed that there may be areas of concerns that, if unattended, have a far great impact than ``Moving Closer.``

Having said that, I`d agree with you Omar that the signs of the future can be seen in the smallest of things. Early in 2003 when tension between India and Pak was high, someone from the Aurora community expressed concern about the two nations. To which I responded, with reference to Geo`s programming (that bore colors of Indian tradition,.. and Geo was taking steps closer to India at that time....) that things are going to change. Media foretells it. So has it happened today, and we know who`s who in this peace process...

A little digression, I`ll dig up and paste that line of conversation here some time.

Reader, FYI: Aurora is a quarterly about media/ advertising.... by the DAWN Group of Publications.

=== Interact Filtered ===
view this users filtered interacts

Urmila and Resham, with their usual theatrics, wouldn`t rate too high on my credibility scale. This would be a marketing gimmick gone bad, at best, though the fact that sex sells, no matter what the subject matter be, will probably enable them to enthrall the sexually depraved masses. PTV needs such gimmicks, to bolster it`s reputation, especially in the face of the mushroom growth of local channels, but they ought to limit it to entertainment purposes only.

atleast urmila`s gyrating hips will give the grouching oldies something to talk about.

Omar, you lost your cool. Interacting at Chowk is quite hazardous, that’s why the wise ones, like Parvez Hoodbhoy and Mushahid Hussain, get only their articles published and stay away from interacting.

Jay is an ordinary person who is full of hate for anything associated with Pakistan. He has found a site dominated by Pakistanis where he is allowed to express his hatred openly. Pakistan to him is an anathema. He has nothing constructive to add and, if he could, he would destroy and derail any rapprochement between India and Pakistan. He’s neither wise nor far-sighted. Ignore him. He’s not worth it.

I accidently visited the common room while this program was being on-aired. pretty good one and appreciated alot by the the ppl, present there in the common room. Such programes should frequent the `family` channel.


re #1 (RAS)
August is okay too. Lets have some quality time till then even and take full advantage of their current majboori. Interact/communicate freely through all mediums. Visit and try to know each other better than relying on different channels.
Majority thinks that all this mess is due to the Politicians/Generals/Hukkams. Every problem has got a solution. This interaction till august is surely going to help later, no matter at how smaller scale....
pevasta reh shajar se ummeed-e-bahar rakh
Iqbal`s `shajar` might be meaning something else but here we need to concentrate on the later part, hope.

Omar,

I guess Moneeza Hashmi`s responsible for the airing of the documentary (amongst many other positive changes we see in the broadcast ).
Even the Nite time transmissions are fun sometimes.
Have you ever seen any of those?

Omar #6 . . . if I may, with the edge over you of age?

a) You never never ever never look down on your constituency (reader) nor do you underestimate his/her point of view.

b) As far as Urmila M crying on the border goes, Maaaan, she is one kick-ass actress. Everybody cries at the Wagah/Attari ceremonies. Something like a bride crying just before she tucks in for dessert.

c) You want to really see people crying on the Indo-Pak border, I suggest you take a look at travellers on the India-Pakistan train, especially on the late-night Wagah - Lahore ``Samjhauta Express``. A better name would be ``Vardee Daakoo Slow Passenger via Mogulpura``. As a matter of fact, I would strongly suggest you take a ride on this train incongito preferably with camera and wire-tap. Now that would be a really good show for PTV, no?

Have you seen Urmilla Matondkar in ``Kaun``? Especially close to the last scenes?

Maaaaan, I refuse to believe that ALL Pakistani journalists are so guillible.

warm regards/Veeresh Malik