Horrible plans of PTV authorities

By Prof Shamim Ahmad

Some people while arguing in favour of the TV say that it is an instrument that may be used both in right and wrong way. It all depends upon us. These people want to say that either viewers or the people presenting TV programmes should use it rightly. It means that the viewers should switch the TV on only when righteous programmes are being aired. And when dances, women stepping to the drum beat, and obscene and vulgar acts are being screened, it should be switched off. We cannot say who can use TV so swiftly. One may refrain from watching obscene TV programmes, but one cannot guarantee that one's wife and children will also desist from watching these scenes in one's absence. When a thing which can induce a person towards the wrong is in his access and that too in the safe boundaries of a home, then how many people can restrain themselves from enjoying this vice. How many families of the faithful can be protected from the ill effects of this satanic instrument. So, it means that it is impossible for a viewer to protect himself from the malicious assault of the TV programmes for a longer period. And as far as the management of the PTV is concerned, hoping any good from them is like sowing thorns and expecting to reap a good crop of wheat.

From the point of view of Shariah, all the people know about the evils associated with the TV. According to a Hadith of Hazrat Muhammad (SAW), this is the instrument that was responsible for spreading the vices of dance and singing in every household and is accelerating the magnitude of obscenity and vulgarity. It was and is and will be the objective behind the establishment of the PTV. Even then if anyone is expecting any good from the PTV, he should read this article which has been authored by a known writer and intellectual who had been associated with the PTV. The writer has included a speech of the founder of Karachi television, Zulfikar Ali Bukhari, which has been delivered before the Karachi TV authorities at the formal inauguration of the channel. The writing exposes shocking plans of PTV people. And it is true and useful even today. Read this article and decide that should we accept sugarcoated poison in the name of recreation? Or should we boycott the TV and protect our Islamic identity and morality? (Editor)

  Today, I want to present my personal experiences that throw light on the basic character and objectives of our mass media which, I am sure, will not be in your knowledge. You will also clearly know that what has been the attitude and aims of the bureaucracy that has been using the mass media of Pakistan. And that what elements and objectives have been working behind securing and using these sources.

  I met this situation at once when the Karachi TV station was being established. The person who was appointed as its first general manager was he who had a good experience of establishing and running the Radio Pakistan. No one had served the department better than him. He had also been the controller of the Radio Pakistan. Perhaps, you would have recognized the personality. However, I would not keep secret the name of the person so that you could read between the lines. This personality was the "late" Zulfikar Ali Bukhari, whose abilities and skills are recognized by all and sundry. The Bukhari had convened a special meeting of the artists, playwrights and likely producers of the Karachi TV. The writer was also invited to the function. Bukhari had summoned only those people whom he wanted to assign a special task.

  Throwing light on the aims and objectives of the PTV, he gave some explanations to show us importance of the medium as well as to gain our confidence. We could not have learnt this information through any other mean. So, first of all, let us go through the brief summary of his conversation. He said ….

"You know that TV is the most effective recreational and social organ which interferes with the private life of all the households and families of a society. No family is ready to tolerate the interference of anyone in its private life, but for the sake of TV, it happily accepts everything in its private life though it has no choice in its selection. TV modifies every family unit, rather it is the best source to transform the new generations according to our agenda and against the education of their parents. It means that TV will not be as effective on the current adult population as it will be on the children who will be "educated" by the TV from their early childhood. In the regard, the responsibility and importance of TV will be more than the collective effectiveness of the builders of society (teachers). The mind of a child is like a plain paper. You may write anything on it. What kind of generations should be produced in Pakistan, will be in your hands. I assure you that after the invasion of TV, such generations will be produced in Pakistan that will be totally different from the current society in their thinking, feelings and logic. You will be able to bring changes in our society in ten years that could be effected in 200 years earlier. The radio took 50 years to introduce a change to the people and that too not with full personality. While TV a specific aim as compared to radio, and you will have to work for it from the beginning.

"This media will be more effective, potent and energetic than the other three important mediums of radio, film and newspapers. Film is the most important in the last three mediums which affect the personality and sense of recreation of a viewer. But you know that children become fond of films in the age of 13 to 14 years, especially the children of two to three years of age are quite indifferent to it. Even when they grow up, their parents already know that what kind of film they are taking him along to. But there is no question of such selection in case of PTV. They will have to view whatever we will want to, and the householder will have to show it to his children as he himself has purchased the TV set and taken it to his home. So, now they will need not to go to a cinema house for watching a movie. From now on every home will be a cinema house and whatever we want we will transmit it to the minds of the viewers, he is a two-year-old toddler or a grown-up boy. From this you can understand that how important and multi-pronged our responsibility will be. The construction and shape of Pakistan will be based on the foundations you will lay."

  We were listening to his speech while holding back our breath, and were feeling that we were really going lay foundations of a new Pakistan. After a tea break, Bukhari said:" The question is that why are we planning to introduce the might of TV? While Pakistan is an under-developed and backward country which is miles away from industrial progress. It has not yet been able to stand on its own feet while it owes billions of rupees to the developed world. Why do we want to nourish a white elephant like PTV in a country that cannot even manufacture a needle of radio, while the project will further burden its economy? We will also remain dependent upon others with respect to foreign exchange needed to run this project. You know that the TV is actually being introduced here on a direction of Gen Ayub Khan. You may be watching for the last two to three years that the old stupid politicians have again started appearing on the national horizon and they want to invalidate all the efforts and plans made by Ayub Khan for the progress of the country after getting rid of these politicians. In fact, the reason to introduce the TV as early as possible is that you can present Ayub Khan and his achievements in every house of the country, expose conspiracies of these rouge politicians. For if these politicians managed to accomplish their nefarious designs, then all the progress and transformation of the country will be rendered useless."

  This aspect of the discussion alerted us because now the actual objective behind the introduction of PTV was before us. And we knew that Ayub Khan was loosing fast his ground in the national politics, and the bureaucracy was planning multiple projects to help him. Like Qudratullah Shahab and Jameelud Din Aali in the beginning of the downfall of Ayub had presented the plan of running public trains. Similarly, Altaf Gauhar had, during the most difficult days, presented the TV plan under which Ayub Khan was to be introduced in every home of the country in the name of educational progress. However, we had not yet imagined what Mr Bukhari was going to reveal further. So, he maintained:

"You know that religious class is the biggest enemy of the progress of Pakistan. It has emerged as the main obstacle in the way of government plans for political, religious and social sectors. This element has always been a sign danger for our government. Even at present fundamental, anti-progress and religiously fanatic forces are in the forefront against Ayub Khan and are assaulting his achievements and personality from all sides. The main objective of the PTV is to wage a crusade against these mullahs and religious fanatics. It is unfortunate that a majority of our middle class, that is the most educated segment of our society, owns this old and fundamental approach. This class will be the first target of the PTV. The government gives it top priority. Psychological and emotional training of the nation is all the more necessary. Pakistan is progressing towards industrial growth, while psychological and emotional problems of the nation caused by worn-out and imaginary ideas are the major hurdles in its way. So the PTV is the institution which has to be used under a planning to achieve a specific objective. Such people and minds are being prepared at all levels who will be in harmony with this objective. We had sent some people abroad for training so that they could organize the institution on these lines.

"Thus, there will be two basic objectives of the PTV. Your first and foremost duty will be to project in your plays, discussions and recreational programmes the achievements of the government in the field of progress and prosperity of the country and the revolutionary changes effected for the welfare of the people as the nation is not aware of it. You should make the people realize that they are at the threshold of a big revolution and progress. You should impress upon the mind of all and sundry that this person (Ayub) is very industrious, sincere and earnest to the people as he has steered the nation to the road to progress within just ten years.

"Your second and the most important aim will be to first of all liberate the middle class and then the whole nation from the clutches of old religious ideas. Perform your duty without making the people conscious of the fact that you are launching a campaign to purge the new generations of religious influence. If you manage to perform this task, then we will eliminate religious fanatics and mullahs from our social and political circles. These mullahs have always been the cause behind the decline of every government and they have been challenging broad-mindedness in our society."

  After this speech, Bukhari gave instructions to each participant separately. For example,

"I shall pay Rs200, besides the remuneration for his programme, per month to every writer who will learn Arabic language. We want to present these people through radio and PTV as religious scholars and modern philosophers to eradicate the influences of all the mullahs who have become authority on religion and we are forced to include them in our programmes. You will have to work to free society from the absurdity of religion, so we want to promote new ideas through this medium.

To be continued…