Peshawar, Pakistan -- Journalists here increasingly are being criticized for being part of the government political structure.
As a working journalist, I have the right to ask why the owners of electronic media are part of the power game in Pakistan. However, because I am a working journalist (at Dunya TV) and don't own the electronic media, I have to face hatred and attacks from other people in the street and don't have a way to tell them I'm not the problem.
A leaked video from Mubashir Luqman, anchor of a private TV program, has been controversial as it shows how news anchors have destroyed the image of journalists in Pakistan.
I know some journalists engaging in 'Lafifa journalism' , yellow journalists who are paid to produce hacky articles. I know 15 or 20 journalists in Peshawar doing Lafifa journalism because they have no jobs. They pretend to be journalists to get money or influence. They don't actually work for a newspaper, TV channel or any journalistic medium, but live off getting money from other people.
These fake journalists are mixing with political and police officials for personal gain. This is my personal experience with the situation, starting with a police constable who was transferred from Peshawar to Mattani, an area outside Peshawar that is famous for militant attacks on police.
The police constable visited my home, saying he would pay 70,000 Pakistani rupees (about $750) if I stopped his transfer. I asked why he came to me and why did he think I could do it?
The police constable said: "Sir G, every journalist can do this because they are in league with top officials." I refused his offer and said I can't do it, never have done it and am not interested.
I met the constable again one week later and he said, "Sir G, I gave a journalist 50,000 rupees and he stopped my transfer."
I said, "It's amazing. Please show me the name of the journalist." He tells me the name of a journalist I know is not attached to any newspaper or journalistic organization.
Luqman's trying to benefit from Malik Riaz was an example of this in mainstream media. A lot of people are criticizing the media and Luqman's channel since the video leak.
Unfortunately, I also am employed by the same channel. People are very hostile to working journalists believing we are part of the corrupt system. Luqman was able to leave the country, but we have to face people who hate us.
I spoke with a senior journalist two days ago, telling him this hatred was making me tense. Anchors are getting the benefits and running away from the problem while we are left to face this. "Don't worry dear," the journalist said, " it's for some time; people will forget everything in two months. So, don't be tense and just work for your family."
An advertisement ran on our channel in which every person said "Malik Riaz is an angel on earth." I don't know how much the sponsor paid the channel. Watching this taught me two lessons: Journalism in Pakistan is a tool to get power; media owners don't care about journalists or journalism in Pakistan.
Malik Riaz says Arsalan Iftikhar, son of the chief justice, blackmailed him and admitted giving him money. And our independent TV channel shows Riaz as an "angel". That shows the insincerity of the channel when it comes to journalism.
(Editor's note: Mubashir Luqman, news anchor at privately owned Dunya TV, was suspended for making 'off-air' comments to co-host Meher Bokhari about business tycoon Malik Riaz. A Youtube video titled “Malik Riaz Planted Interview with Mehar Bokhari and Mubashir Lukman on dunya tv“ surfaced the day after the interview aired. Riaz is involved in a controversial bribery scandal reaching the Pakistani chief justice office.)
