Reema Shaukat
Blame game on Pakistan is not new. A homeland of peace lovers has always been under intrigues and repeatedly assessed as terror producing state. Well, Pakistan is truly paying the price for more than a decade to be part of war on terror which was inflicted upon her. Unfortunately, after losing much through human losses and infrastructure still Pakistan is held responsible for instability in the region. Western media particularly never understood the security dynamics of Pakistan. For them Pakistan today is a country which breeds extremism. Time and again foreign media is found active in propagating against Pakistan with their agenda to destabilize an exemplary country fighting successfully against extremism. Since 9/11, Pakistan turned to be the first line of state against terror. No other country has offered many scarifies on war against terror as Pakistan continues to offer. Though Zarb-e-Azb and Radd-ul-Fasaad completed successfully but still all law enforcing agencies are continuously combating terrorism in the country.
Pakistan military has played a significant role in restoring peace in Pakistan and its efforts are acclaimed across the borders. Pakistan’s sincerity for region’s stability cannot be doubted as it has always extended its determinations for peaceful region and believed that long lasting peace in region is possible with sustenance of rest of regional powers. Despite Pakistan’s constant candour and openness on US and the West, our allies have always boarded on fabricating negative subjects against Pakistan under well thought-out plans. For them it is most easy to target Pakistan and its Army by creating deleterious themes between them. The objective definitely is to create block between the army and the public and subsequently to pitch them against each other. For them in Pakistan it is most easy to target or sensitize public on civil-military balance and portray instability in their balanced relationship. Same trend was adopted by West during the Gulf War. The style to develop leitmotifs and chronicles to change observations around the world by the Western media is in practice since Gulf War to legalize their invasion on Iraq. However, in case of Pakistan, the methodology changed by the West thus avoided direct propaganda campaigning. Another option was targeting Pakistan to exploit politics that could easily be enticed and later utilized in promoting Western culture in Pakistan.
Recently, West has adopted a technique of propaganda by using social media or any other kind of medium to hit the young minds. For them it is easy to target youth and other brains through media. Apart from trend of creating websites, blogs and articles in social media they are using High Powered Radio Transmitters from different countries. Knowing that these radio channels will be banned in Pakistan because of spreading anti-Pakistan sentiments they are now operating from other countries. One of the radio channel named Mashaal Radio is operating since 2010 with its office in Prague. Now this channel has extended its services and they are using Abu Dhabi, Kuwait, Thailand and Afghanistan to spread themes against Pakistan and favour Western policies. Initially, Radio Mashaal was a public service broadcaster providing an alternative to extremist propaganda in Pakistan’s tribal regions. Radio Mashaal in its services provides local and international news and in-depth political reporting featuring local authorities and tribal elders. And it has programs which are dedicated to youth, women’s issues, family health, and human rights and are considered unique in the region. Radio Mashaal is a member of Radio Free Europe in Pakistan, broadcasting mainly in Pashto language with a few Urdu and English programs. Its headquarters are in Prague, Czech Republic with daily 9 hours of coverage. Mashaal Radio is now being broadcasted from Kuwait city, Thailand and Abu Dhabi on high powered frequencies including Afghanistan to target Pakistan based Pashtun community of KPK, FATA and Baluchistan, without realizing that the people of these areas fully understand role of armed forces and government of Pakistan for them. This radio with an entire framework is working on to portray Pakistan as epicentre of terrorism and safe haven for militants. This radio channel also tries to generate chaos between civilian and military leadership in Pakistan. With an aim to develop political uncertainty and distrust among people about civil-military relations it is trying to chain people thoughts at greater level.
By knowing such tactics of West, who in order to destabilise Pakistan is adopting voice campaign propaganda it is now duty of radio mediums to remove such negative perceptions. It is necessary that there should be effective cooperation between Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation and ISPR radio channels in order to counter such anti-Pakistan narratives. Both in liaison with each other broadcast programs which should focus people of tribal areas particularly FATA, Baluchistan and Pak-Afghan border areas. Such programs should not be limited to border specific areas but at the level of Headquarters such programs should be generated and later counter themes, narratives and methodologies need to be shared on all provincial levels. Another option to counter particular propaganda is to have separate high powered radio FM channels to broadcast prompt counter propaganda themes. Apart from upgradation of radio channels, transmitters, other print and electronic media should drive campaigns to counter Western propaganda. It is pivotal to use such forum and platforms to highlight Pakistan’s positive image in front of world so that they should know its sacrifices and efforts against terrorism of all kinds.
