To fight an enemy the basic need beside arms and ammunition is the unity among the people on the cause of the struggle they fight for. In business world they call it teamwork where having all members of the team on board is regarded as a key to the success. In Pakistan, no teamwork appears to be functioning these days even on issues that are like a question of life and death for the country.

Lack of unity and teamwork spirit was never as vividly observable in the country as it is today. There were number of events in the recent history of Pakistan where this behaviour reared its ugly head and made the common people watch helplessly for a miracle to help them come out of the cobweb of confusion their leaders and opinion-builders had weaved around them. Two such examples are the recent events of the failed car bomb attempt in New York’s Times Square and the conviction of Ajmal Kasab by the Mumbai Court.

TV channels, newspapers, observers, politicians, and opinion-builders joined the chorus of voicing their opinions on these events with positions that were totally contradictory to each other. If one supported the act, the other opposed it as vehemently as was possible for him/her.

Look at the two largest Urdu and English newspapers, Jang and Dawn, and all you find is an amazing difference in reporting style and in the opinions projected by these two leading different language newspapers on crucial issues faced by the country.

Let’s take the recent event of the failed car bomb attempt in New York and see how both of these newspapers reported this event.

- shah sarosh

Related posts:

1. Reflections: On the Changing Role and Dynamics of Media in Pakistan
2. Anti Media Activities of MQM
3. Bomb Explosions- stop blaming security arrangements, start campaign against the show of religious processions
4. Negative Impacts of Pakistani Media
5. Holding on to Hope