PESHAWAR: The mainstream electronic media might be deaf and blind to the terrorist attack on a mosque in Mohmand Agency, but some rights activists on social media picked up the issue of not covering a deadly blast killing 22 and running non-stop tickers of arrest of a politician in Karachi instead.
“Had this blast happened in Kashmir instead of Mohmand Agency, Pakistani politicians, including the PM, would be in queue to issue statements,” reads a tweet on social media about the Friday’s mosque attack.
“Fata is bleeding and news channels are happy to glue themselves to Khwaja Izhar and Rao Anwar…and they call themselves beacon of information,” said a lawyer in his tweet criticising the mainstream media for blacking out the Friday’s attack in Mohmand tribal agency and running tickers of arrest of MQM’s leader of opposition in Sindh Assembly Khwaja Izharul Hassan.
Rights activists raise Fata issues on social media – DAWN
Only two private Pashto TV channels based in Peshawar showed updates and details of the terrorist attack on Mohmand mosque.
Bushra Gohar, a rights activist-turned politician, expressed her disappointment at the electronic media for not giving coverage to attacks in Mardan and Peshawar and the recent attack in Mohmand Agency.
“Firstly, Pakhtuns don’t have a channel of their own to highlight issues of this region. Secondly, Punjab-centric media is controlled and right winged. They never discuss serious issues like that of conflict in Fata and displacement,” said Bushra Gohar while explaining why the mainstream electronic media did not give any coverage to the issues of Fata , Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan which had still been bearing the brunt of terrorism and extremism. Not running any ticker on the blast in Mohmand Agency is the latest example of this selective reporting by the mainstream electronic media.
“The Fata people and its land have been used for the last over 60 years as strategic depth and human life has no value there,” said Bushra Gohar.
Ijaz Mohmand, a senior lawyer hailing from Mohmand Agency, seemed angered at the electronic media for not showing the tragic event and its details to let the world know how the people of Fata were suffering.
“We sensed it ourselves when we continuously saw arrest of a politician in Karachi on our TV screens, but there was no mention of the attack on mosque in Mohmand where mostly boys were hit and being transferred for treatment to Bajaur and Peshawar,” said Ijaz Mohmand, calling all those analysts and security analysts pseudo-intellectuals who seem to have no words when it comes to situation of Fata and never speak on the issues that are taking toll on the lives of people in tribal areas.
“…the screams of pain of the affected have yet to reach media houses,” Prof Khadim Hussain , a writer and analyst, tweeted when 22 persons were hit in a mosque during Friday prayers in Mohmand Agency.
Speaking on the issue of why electronic media refrained from discussing or highlighting the events in tribal areas, Prof Hussain told Dawn that when states used some areas for its strategic purposes then such areas become more like a black hole and its people were so much dehumanised by the state with its policies that even media was pressured to think anyone talking about the issues of Fata as a criticism against the state itself.
“Look what happened in Quetta, Peshawar and Kabul and now in Mohmand where innocent people were killed. On the one hand, the state is not ready to review policies causing pain in these areas, on the other, those who bring out the voice of these people are looked upon as working against the state,” explained Prof Hussain while analysing why the electronic media looked the other way when it came to highlighting the issues relating to troubled tribal areas or Balochistan.
Published in Dawn, September 17th, 2016
via #MohmandBlast: Punjab Centered Right Wing Media did not Bother to Give Coverage — The Dissent®
unnecessary news from earth 
This is very interesting! Great article!! Thank you!!! –Paul
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The mass media is owned and operated by those who have an agenda contrary to the needs and welfare of the people worldwide, and in particular, Muslims, since they have become the scapegoats for these elite swine.
People everywhere should know by now that the main stream media is never going to report on anything, unless it is by orders from its elite bosses, in the west and east.
We need to stop questioning why the media does and doesn’t do this or that, and condemn and ignore it. It is up to the alternative sources of info, like this article, to expose what is really happening in the world.
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Thank you my dear Earthling friend, for your comment! And this would come by me again!: “Don’t read, don’t buy, don’t feed Mainstream Media!”
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BINGO!
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I used to think North Korea was the worst until I turn on the TV here in the US. We can’t blame ourselves for being so trusting. But once we know, we cannot shut our eyes.
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You’re right, LT, we have been programmed from birth to trust the state and its tentacles.
Yes, once the blinders are off, there is no going back.
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Questioning, questioning! Humankind should never stop questioning my Earthling friend. At this age people need much more questioning to the events what the elites put in front of the eyes.
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Thank you. I do and will continue, Migarium…<3
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You can call me Migo, all my Earthling friends call me shortly Migo 🙂
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Alright Migo 🙂
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🙂
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Just ran across this:
http://www.freecriticalthinking.org/daily-pickings/1946-incredulity
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Thank you for the link!
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Pakistan is very Punjabi centric, everything from the news to other media outlets like television shows are dominated by Punjabi culture, language and rule. I wouldn’t be surprised if tribal areas weren’t a subject in the news. After all it’s not important when the focus is on the mainstream issues and conflicts.
I suppose another problem is that the government is so heavily made up of the dominant cultural group that tribal people and other underrepresented groups don’t really have a say in what goes on in Pakistan. Plus, these areas are not exactly cooperating with the government either, there’s a lack of structure and so it would make the government look much worse if these problems were highlighted. It’s already doing such a poor job in running the country as of now, bringing these issues up would create more distrust amongst Pakistani people for the people in charge.
It’s just unfortunate. What we need is more structure and organization. We also need more local representation, since many groups don’t exactly have a say in the country’s affairs. By having a stronger local organization, it would be much more efficient in making sure everyone gets justice, but in that regard Pakistan is really falling behind. It’s difficult to keep running a country when the people living in it are so different from region to region.
What’s normal for a Punjabi doesn’t always apply to a Pashtun or someone from Balochistan. I hope this makes sense
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Thank you for your detailed and much information about the area, dear Earthling friend Ars! This is very sad to see a country where the great humans arised like Liaquat Ali Khan or Muhammad Iqbal turn into a complex and full problem that seems never be solved.
For example, especially Muhammed Igbal is a beloved person for Anatolia people! Becuase, while the Independence War of Turkey was continueing, the fund money which gathered by Pakistani people with his leadership, was sent to Ankara government which has Mustafa Kemal leadership. (at those days Turkey republic wasn’t established yet, and the Independence war was continued with Ankara government against Istanbul Sultan’s government).
The offical record of Pakistani people’ aid money as follows:
“From December 26, 1921 to August 12, 1922, the amount of money was sent 675,494 which corresponds to the Turkish lira. This money was sent to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk. This money stayed in the Ministry of Finance temporarily, it was not sent to Ministery of Treasury. Even in troubled times, this money wasn’t touched. During the Great Offensive of Independence War of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal who saw the great destruction which was made by Greek army, took a part of this money and distributed to the victims of the disaster. The remaning money was sent back to Pakistan after the war by Ministery of Finance of Turkey.”
If the publics were able to raise the great people, they can do again in every time! I believe to this from bottom to my extraterrestrial heart:)
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