By Kamila Hyat
6/26/2008
The writer is a freelance columnist and former newspaper editor
Quite often what is not reported in the media as 'news' is far more significant than what is included in newspaper stories or television bulletins. The many factors involved in what is deemed to constitute news have been debated at length by philosophers and media critics, including Noam Chomsky, who explored the theme extensively in his writings during the 1980s, and more recently, by investigative journalist Nick Davies in his new book 'Flat Earth News'. The conclusion, broadly, is that much of what happens in the world never figures as news. As such, many never know anything of it.
In Pakistan today, the province of Balochistan seems to be locked in such a world of media darkness. Certainly, what is happening within the vast province appears to be unknown to people elsewhere in the country – particularly if they live in Punjab. This was perhaps the reason why the unusual outburst by the deputy chairman of the Senate, Jan Jamali, in the Upper House, speaking of 'another dismemberment' of the country and of the possibility of disintegration if provinces were not given autonomy, was met by evident shock by all who heard it. The knee-jerk reaction by the centre, which coughed up Rs3 billion, possibly enabled the province to present its budget – but served little other purpose.
Certainly, the events which make news in Balochistan are not even heard about outside the territory. After all, how many of us have even heard of Dr Arif Barakzai. Yet the mysterious death of the young academic, a former member of the Baloch Students Organization (BSO) who taught at Sweden's Uppsala University and has been described by peers as one of the brightest young Baloch leaders of his generation, has been a key talking point in circles in Balochistan. It has been alleged Dr Barakzai, who oddly met his death after falling 11storeys from an Oslo building, may have been punished for running a radical, Baloch nationalist website. These allegations, which appear on many Baloch websites and on message boards, could well be completely unfounded – but then they could also be true. The absence of media coverage makes it less likely the truth will emerge.
The protests staged by Balochis inside and outside the country, in March and then May this year, have barely been reported at a national level. The protests were held to mark what is termed by nationalists the 'forced annexation' of Balochistan by Pakistan 60 years ago and the conduct of nuclear tests in the province in 1998. The tenth anniversary of those tests was celebrated in other parts of the country.
The statements by international media watchdog bodies, including the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders, lamenting the continued harassment of journalist Munir Mengal, who was abducted in February 2006 and remained 'missing' for almost two years, do not seem to have found prominent space either. Mengal, who now lives in Kalat, was associated with the radical Baloch Voice organization and had been attempting to establish a television channel for the group when he was whisked away, apparently by intelligence agencies, from Karachi airport. The acceptance of Eastern Balochistan, including the area that once formed the State of Kalat, as a member of the international Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) has also failed to make news. Though the organization – which includes the Hmong people of Thailand, the Kurds and the Tibetans – is controversial, the fact that groups in Pakistan see it as necessary to seek membership is surely a reflection on the state of the federation. Indeed, so deeply rooted is the sense of conspiracy in Balochistan that even the failure of Shoaib Khan Panezai, the talented young cricketer who would, if selected, become the first Baloch to represent Pakistan on the Test field, to be picked for national duty is regarded as an act of deliberate discrimination.
While several Baloch websites remain inaccessible, due to the continuing blockade initiated by the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in 2006, messages and chats that appear on some others are chilling. In response to posts lamenting the 'theft' of Baloch resources or the military action in the province, some accuse those writing the messages of being 'traitors'. Others make clichéd calls for 'Muslim unity' or hit-back with diatribes against the late Nawab Akbar Bugti. While the criticism of Bugti, as a man of dubious integrity and with a chequered record in terms of crime and human rights abuses is perfectly valid, those writing the posts seem unable to recognize that his misdeeds can in no way justify oppressive actions taken in Balochistan or the discrimination the province suffers. It is especially saddening that at least some of the posters lashing out against the unknown individuals describing Baloch sentiments say they are 'patriotic Punjabis'. They do not seem able to see that nothing could be less patriotic than failing to hear the cry of Balochistan and attempting to understand its problems – before it is too late to do anything at all.
But perhaps these posters, most of them evidently young, can be excused their ignorance. While the break-up of Pakistan in 1970 is widely referred to by Balochis, and indeed also by Sindhis and Pukhtoons who quite often rally to their support, the events of that year – and crucially the months preceding it – are still glossed over in school text books. Had this not been the case, the accusations of acting as traitors, or of failing to build unity, may have sounded ominously familiar. Certainly, the frequent references made by the Balochis to that time, to the unjust policies imposed on the then eastern wing of the country and to the brutal atrocities carried out by the military, are, to say the least, ominous.
In all this, the media must question its own role. While it describes as its duty the conveying of information and the seeking out of truth, this is certainly not happening in the case of Balochistan. Policies under the Musharraf regime, which imposed a kind of black-out on news from Pakistan, are at least in part responsible.
But this cannot be used as an excuse. The media must rise to the challenge. Surely keeping the federation of Pakistan united is the biggest service it can render. This can happen only if the truth is told. The grim perceptions that constitute this truth have now been brought up within parliament. This is a positive development. More needs now to be heard from Balochistan so that the problems of a province that quite evidently strains to break free of the federation can be taken up as a national priority and a genuine effort made to coax, rather than haul, Balochistan back as a member of the union.
Email: kamilahyat@hotmail.com
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