Story after story the comments are always the same. “Why is this paper so biased towards liberalism and secularism? Very unethical”, “Why are you always covering every small issue of minorities? Pakistan has so many problems”, “immature writing to attract youth”, and so on.

For the thousandth time, there is nothing unethical about setting an agenda for a newspaper or media organisation. Let us not be naïve or ignorant; all media groups have an agenda, it is not even an open secret, it is often written down as is the case with this newspaper. It has been stated that The Express Tribune hopes to fight “the twin menace of extremism and economic decline by spreading liberal ideas and mobilising the young people of Pakistan”.

There is nothing illegal about promoting liberal ideas or focusing more on attacks on minorities compared with other issues, or trying to get young people to read the newspaper by creating content that interests and attracts them. If you don’t like the agenda, don’t read the paper, but enough of this shock and awe over how much space say a Pervez Hoodbhoy is given over a Shireen Mazari, or why Veena Malik is covered at all. Let us end the inane criticism of how the paper needs ‘balance’ — the balance is there as long as you can read the ingredients in the mix.

No, the agenda is not what you should be upset about; we all have one, even on a personal level. Send three different reporters to cover the same event and you will receive three different reports, which — even if all three report the facts truthfully — in their very choice of words will add on a layer of subjectivity that would make all three reports different. I myself have no qualms about labelling myself a left-leaning liberal and a secularist. I wear my biases on my sleeve — it is honesty that compels me to do so, in order that the reader knows where my work is coming from. Thus, calling me out for being a liberal or a secularist has no meaning.

I would go as far as to argue that there is no journalism free of bias. This is not some radical philosophical stance requiring Baudrillardian leaps into the ‘desert of the real’ or a discussion on whether language can ever convey the true nature of reality. People consume news from a source, not because it is unbiased and presents the whole truth, but in spite of (or in preference of) its biases and certain version of the truth. All regular consumers of news innately turn to multiple sources to build a complete picture, knowing full well what agenda each source comes with.

No, the question is not — why do you have ‘X’ agenda; it is why you are not transparent about your agenda. Why is it not written out and publicly accessible so we, the citizens, know where you are ideologically operating from? This would be a more pertinent question, as it would then be possible to hold the journalist or media group accountable based on the agenda they set themselves. Here in Pakistan, there is an even more important question to be asked of journalists and media groups: why does your agenda on issues shift depending on the medium, i.e., from English to Urdu? Why do two different papers within the same media conglomerate have a different, often opposing stance on various issues? How is it that your news channel is reporting on and exposing black magic charlatans, yet your dramatised programme 45 minutes later features a ‘psychic’ investigator who describes the ‘real’ powers of these same ‘black magicians’.

Yes, every journalist and every group has an agenda. The question is not whether or why the agenda exists, but whether it is being followed, whether it is transparent and whether it is being upheld across the board.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2012.

It was the end of 2010 when our publisher, wrapped up one of our meetings with a casual “So I guess this is it huh? 12-13,000 people a day is the daily limit for a Pakistani newspaper in English.” He had that look in his eye; one of a wild dream of online publishing glory lost, but at least we tried our best and did a good job. I remember looking back at him incredulously and saying, “Not at all. This is just a fraction of our reach – we’ve only begun to explode!”

It is now 2012 and I am taking my daily dip into the vast ocean of Google’s real time site analytics. It’s only afternoon and we have 726 active visitors on the site – we’re averaging 75,000 unique visitors a day now. My comment moderation team is cracking up as they approve comments bashing ET for “biased reporting” against Imran Khan. They love having the freedom to approve any/all comments bashing the newspaper – besides, one of the moderators is a PTI supporter.

I feel calm and in control. What was once a desk of four people stuffed in a room that was meant to be a store room back in 2010, has exploded into a team of 15 in its own hall with access to over 100 reporters across Pakistan. A lot has changed, and my team can feel it too. We still frantically take notes from the TV as breaking news happens, but at the same time the phone is ringing with our own reporter calling in the updates; he’s finally realised the importance of his byline making it to the website.

As I switch over from browsing analytics to scanning Twitter for news leads, I try to remember when our paper fundamentally made the switch to an unofficial ‘digital first’ strategy. It’s hard to put a finger on it, but the website is sucking me back into its 24-hour cycle. I’ve got a direct message on Twitter asking me to report on the target killings in Karachi. I pass the message on to my shift in-charge who dials our Karachi crime reporter. Our crime reporter will be emailing a few paragraphs and a police quote from his smartphone – deadline: 15 minutes. Another 15 minutes for one of my subs to edit the story and add in the necessary contextual background. I thank my Twitter friend for the update, and remind the team to follow protocol and send the story over to the city desk for the print edition; convergence at its streamlined best.

The blog desk is sorting through their roster of regular bloggers to see who can address the latest spate of killings with a fresh angle while squabbling over whether an incoming rebuttal to an Imran Khan op-ed trumps a blog on an Islamic SMS spam. I’m free. Sort of. I still have to decide whether introducing a word limit to our comments section would actually play against or in favor of the trolls that inhabit our site.

I love my job.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 12^th, 2012.

Here’s a scary thought — the internet is a system of control that is increasingly designed to present a myopic view of the world, using your personal data against you to ensure you get exactly what you want, fulfill all your desires and interests in exchange for ensuring you never encounter any material that is challenging or presents a counter narrative to your preferences.

Currently, the range of preferences seems limitless, but inevitably myopia will result in tunnel vision and the fear is that rather than being a force to unite people, the internet will be an alienating force, dividing people, quantifying them into digital groupings and tribes who only interact with themselves and the information they wish to consume. You may already be trapped in a ‘filter bubble’ on Google or Facebook without knowing it, or perhaps knowing it and loving it, but left woefully devoid of perspective. To quote Mark Zuckerberg here: “A squirrel dying in front of your house may be more relevant to your interests right now than people dying in Africa”.

Sounds ridiculous? Let me play the devil’s advocate and take a look at the philosophy that drives The Express Tribune’s website: social friendly, give the consumers what they want, let them have a say in what is important. We have a most popular, most commented and most emailed box, telling others what everyone is interested in. Our blog site is designed so that the top five blogs displayed are automatically chosen based on algorithms around the number of comments on a post. The third party widget at the bottom of each blog that offers other stories “you might like” is built to display related blogs, but its algorithms also aim to show the blogs that get the most clicks. Increasingly, you will see the same blogs appearing in this widget again and again and again. It’s all automated. The editorial selection is, therefore, made by clicks and algorithms, not editors. I freely admit that a fair amount of editorial decision-making on the website is based on real time analytics data that indicates what trends are catching the audience’s attention.

How about taking a look at Google, which is increasingly attempting to make search tailor-made to your user profile. To quote an anecdote by political and internet activist Eli Pariser from his TED talk: “I asked a bunch of friends to Google ‘Egypt’ and to send me screen shots of what they got … when you do read the links, it’s really quite remarkable. Daniel didn’t get anything about the protests in Egypt at all in his first page of Google results. Scott’s results were full of them. And this was the big story of the day at that time. That’s how different these results are becoming”.

Being a fierce internet advocate of the idealistic ‘the internet can do no wrong’ bent, I find it hard to accept that the online space will become a place where we only see what we want to see, not what we need to see; a world where freedom is an illusion maintained by new centres of control. In the battle over the draconian Protect IP Act and Stop Online Piracy Act, I was firmly on the side of Wikipedia, Google, Yahoo, Reddit et al. in believing the legislation was aimed at systematically curbing freedom of the internet, but I had to pause for a second when I read the Recording Industry Association of America’s  response to the online onslaught that effectively killed the legislation: “It’s a dangerous and troubling development when the platforms that serve as gateways to information, intentionally skew the facts to incite their users and arm them with misinformation … it’s very difficult to counter the misinformation when the disseminators also own the platform”.

So if online companies — news or otherwise — have political will and are ready to act on it, using it to sway public opinion in their favour, is this the shape of things to come? Will assumed oases like the The Express Tribune website provoke and challenge, or feed into the illusion of a Pakistan based on the profiles of the users visiting the site. It’s definitely not such a black and white online world right now, but it is worth pondering what will happen when we move from organic, human gatekeepers of information to digital algorithms — The Matrix, anyone?

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2012.

Veena Malik is ambitious, there is no doubting that. The controversial actor has now hinted at the possibility of joining politics in the future.

Malik spoke to The Express Tribune exclusively after news started to float that her father was joining the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and had wished that she join the party with him.

“Whenever there is something wrong going on in society my blood boils and sometimes I wish to be a part of this system so I can change things,” said the actor. She however added that, “At the moment I’m just concentrating on my acting and singing career, and travelling to know this world closely!”

Malik said her father had hoped that her career path would be that of a lawyer or a politician. She went on to say that her father has “great” knowledge of politics and is a “very good speaker and very intelligent man”.

Freedom first

When Malik was asked what issues she would focus on if she joined politics, the actor said “the freedom to live a life the way one wants to be.”

She said that food, clothes and shelter were secondary as most people in the country did not even have the right to think or speak their minds.

“We are forced to live our lives in a certain way, we don’t have the right to question things forget the answers!”

Earlier in January, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan had called for actor Veena Malik to be made a member of the Senate in the next elections, since this move would at least ensure senators attend Senate sessions.

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Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

KARACHI: Women in short skirts and men with gelled hair, among others, are really upset at being ‘misrepresented’ in a recent article on Pakistan’s party scene.

“Yes there is illicit smoke. Yes there is alcohol. Yes men and women dance together, but this doesn’t mean you can write a report clubbing a Taliban commander’s viewpoint with those of us who like to party…To do so is to frame the story in a ludicrous narrative of extremes. You’ve made us [Pakistanis] look bad yaar,” says one Lahore-based party goer who wishes to remain anonymous.

Rapper Adil Omar who was quoted in the article is similarly angry at how he has come off in the story.

“I have been grossly misquoted in a Reuters article. My management/legal team expect an appropriate rebuttal and apology,” tweeted Omar, adding that, “No, the woman I have tattooed on my arm is not half naked… [She] only has exposed shoulders.” Omar went on to state that he was not wearing baggy trousers, but was instead donning a traditional kurta on top of jeans.

Numair Shahzada, now notorious online for being the “this is just epic” bobbing-head guy from the report in question is livid, tweeting that, “The writer has portrayed the Islamabad party scene in such a vulgar light.” “She makes me sound like a blubbering high idiot. This interview took place at Mocha. Not at a party. I don’t appreciate this,” tweets Shahzada. “Not cool man. Parties are not this shady and not that big a deal and our country is not as screwed up as depicted here.”

Creeping conservatism

While most Pakistanis abhor the Taliban’s violence, there are many who share their beliefs (but perhaps don’t wish to partake in terrorist activities) – particularly on online comment communities such as The Express Tribune’s website. The original article published online garnered over 100 comments, many of them bashing the ‘liberal-western-secular-nudist’ culture that commenters felt aptly captured the ‘malaise’ that has ‘infected’ Pakistan’s elite.

“Islam should be our guide force…we should enforce Islamic punishments to end this evilness…and we should start tableegh in all elite schools” said one angry commenter.

“They are sons and daughters of our brutal, blood thirsty ruling elite,” said another.

“This is the other side of extremism!” said yet another.

Lonely liberals

Despite the conservatism sweeping through Pakistan thanks to military dictator General Ziaul Haq’s  drive to Islamise the state in the 80s, an online voice or two still bravely dared to ask:

“Man… how do you get into such parties?”

Serving as the ‘voice of reason’ to a debate spinning well beyond the original report, Tribune Blogger Faraz Talat weighed in saying, “It’s their money, their bodies. They can sing, dance, wear miniskirts at their own party places…it is nobody’s business. Unless they’re pouring booze down my throat, it really doesn’t concern me.”

Spinning yarn

Whoever said journalism is a stab at narrating the truth will be disappointed to learn that ‘spin’, particularly in ‘soft’ stories about fashion events or dance parties is not just the norm, it is enforced, often vigorously by editors who demand the same under the seemingly legitimate banner of ‘colour’ and ‘balance’.

Nowhere is this truer than wires stories emanating from Pakistan, where the emerging fashion scene is planted jarringly against the backdrop of terrorism; where dance parties are amped up to be an ‘underground scene’ but a stone’s throw away from an irate Taliban commander.

Balance, it seems, equals exaggerated doses of two extremes juxtaposed against each other to give the reader fantasy, and farce.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 25^th, 2012.

Time and again, I am told that as the head of a news website, I am corrupting the role of the editor as the one-man purveyor of internalised wisdom by relying on site analytics — the statistics that tell me what stories catch reader attention — to guide my decision-making.

I am also told that because everything on the web is happening in real time and my competitors are just a few clicks away, the online news space, much like television, is in danger of becoming a giant echo chamber, with editors forcing their staff to chase after and duplicate their competitor’s best story or blog to garner the same number of clicks, likes, tweets and shares. Everything is transparent online, so why not mimic the best, i.e., that which seems to attract the most public interest?

These are the challenges an editor faces in the online world. What must one do with the constant bombardment of feedback from your audience? However, this is also a reality which will inevitably force its way into the lives of editors working across all mediums, for the future is an online, interconnected one. A recent poll of nearly 800 editors by Editor & Publisher and Ebyline found that “Half said audience or traffic development will take [up] more of their time and more than a third think they will be on the hook for driving revenue soon”.

Additionally, 40.7 per cent of respondents said they spent more time monitoring other media than they did three years ago. While these same editors still believed that original reporting was far more important to a story’s success than its “shareability” or search engine optimisation, such a mindset will simply have to change.

More editors will be working online, and more importantly, reading, viewing and experiencing news online. They will be forced to admit (at least, in private) that there really is no point in their reporter slaving away weeks for a fantastic investigative report only to see it fail with a headline that does not contain all the keywords and a peg that does not connect the story to what readers have indicated they are interested in. Editors will begin to keep an eye on which of their stories attract more clicks and explore those issues further to possibly give them more column space or air time on TV. For example, take a look at how the efforts of online campaigning over the Burma violence successfully translated into news reports, columns and prime time TV news slots.

Is this the death of  ‘real’ journalism? What happens to the old editor, the one who spends the majority of his or her time counselling staff, setting the editorial policy, developing stories with reporters or just plain old vetting edited stories? Is he/she dead?

Well, some will be. This is the evolution of journalism and it is the editor’s job to take on all the challenges that come with becoming increasingly tangled with the audience we serve. If the internet is the only medium that allows for two-way feedback, it is the most important medium, even now, in its relative infancy in Pakistan. It is time for editors to learn how to listen to the audience. It is also time for editors to learn how to effectively market their content to the audience so that what people want or need to know is not lost in the information glut that defines our times. The public is king.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 3^rd, 2012.

“Instead of bringing us all together in an omnipresent, multifaceted discussion, the internet has made sectarianism an almost default position.”

Author Patrick Ness said these troubling words at a recent writers’ conference in Edinburgh. What did he mean by these words? Those who have been regularly visiting The Express Tribune online and other local websites that allow comments or host forums (not to mention Facebook and Twitter) know the answer to this one.

A disturbing trend can be seen in how people engage with one another online. Sure, Pakistan’s emerging online community of over 20 million connected individuals have embraced the ‘democratising’ elements of the internet and are driving debates through comments, blogs and social media — but to what end? Is the medium creating a more democratic, open society?

In an earlier article, I argued that the internet may be emerging as “a system of control that is increasingly designed to present a myopic view of the world” based on how online entities like Facebook, Google and even The Express Tribune tailor-design their online space so you increasingly see only content you like, thus ensuring you willingly remain uninformed about anything you don’t like or (on the surface) aren’t interested in. This is perhaps, not as scary as the social phenomenon of myopia and ‘sectarianism’ within online comments and debates. At least Facebook and Google’s developers can change the algorithms that determine what you see; when it comes to online debate, no one is really in control.

So how exactly are comments sections, Facebook and Twitter creating greater social divides and more extreme, myopic viewpoints? The question seems counter-intuitive but in reality begs closer examination, especially when it comes to a nation as fragmented as ours.

Shias. Sunnis. Ahmadis. Baloch separatists. Sipah-e-Sahaba. The Pakistan Army. The PTI. The PML-N. The MQM. Ultra-nationalists. Liberals. Conservatives. Put members of these loaded terms into a room and invite them to chat — this would approximately mimic what the internet has done for Pakistan’s interest groups by way of interaction — but wait, does it translate into interaction? Not really. The Shias interact with the Shias. The Sunnis with the Sunnis, and so on. The only time one would ever need to interact with ‘the other’ is to attack, often en masse, by way of trolling or online campaigning. Any time one happens to peer into the online activities of  ‘the other’, they would see a myopic world of highly motivated, (read: dangerous) like-minded individuals, busy reaffirming and solidifying their own myopic views, thus reaffirming and solidifying the original divides that existed for the peering ‘other’. Is this scenario more likely or the idealistic vision of the groups unexpectedly engaging in a way that leads to social harmony? Anyone who has spent time within the Pakistani online space knows the answer to that question.

As internet specialist and author Clay Shirky points out, the internet can be seen as “just another implementation layer for special interest groups”. Where does this leave the oft-cited ‘silent majority’? Silenced. As Ness further stated in his talk at a writer’s conference, a culture of self-censorship is becoming the norm as individuals and yes, even seasoned columnists and reporters seek to minimise conflict (flame wars), social isolation and online witch-hunts perpetrated by the rabid hordes of a highly motivated minority. Many change their online personas to fit the views of their particular community, further polarising viewpoints. Many others avoid engaging altogether.

A 2012 report aptly titled, “Social media in Pakistan: catalyst for communication, not change” noted that, “The risks posed by social media in Pakistan include their succumbing to the same ideological divisions that afflict Pakistani society and even becoming a haven for extremist online communication.”

I am afraid, much to my dismay, that this is what has happened to large swathes of our online space already.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 6^th, 2012.

The stories below were selected based on the number of visits to individual articles, representing what visitors to the Tribune website considered vital reads for 2012.

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                                                                      Over 100,000 views

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Diligent student compiles list of 780,000 porn sites for PTA to ban – Web Desk

Who knows pornography better than a teenage boy?

Veena Malik denies nude photo shoot for FHM – Web Desk

Shot with clothes on!

The water car fraud – Pervez Hoodbhoy

Our media is chasing spectacle, not truth

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                                                                     50,000-100,000 views

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HEC releases Pakistan’s top universities lists – Web Desk

Quaid-e-Azam University in Islamabad leading

Veena Malik’s ‘holi’ moment – Web Desk

Veena Malik played Holi for the first time in India

PTA approved: Over 1,000 porn sites blocked in Pakistan – Jahanzaib Haque

PTA has provided a list of 1,000 most frequented porn sites in Pakistan

Militancy: Progressive voice for tribal women silenced in attack – Asad Zia

In Farida Afridi’s death, women from the tribal belt have lost a fierce fighter

Ultimatum to US: ‘Criminalise blasphemy or lose consulate’ – Rana Tanveer

Around 10,000 people participated in the main rally

Teenage beauty queen ‘stoned to death’: Report – Web Desk

Controversy surrounds media reports in the wake of her death

Morning show host Maya Khan fired from Samaa TV – Taha Siddiqui/Web Desk

The morning show host blamed “a vicious media campaign by rival groups”

Miss China crowned Miss World 2012…in China – AFP

Miss China won the coveted title of Miss World, triumphing on home soil

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                                                                      30,000-50,000 views

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Arfa Karim passes away: Whiz kid loses battle for her life – Aroosa Shaukat

16 years old, child prodigy, inspiration, youngest certified Microsoft Professional

If Malala survives, we will target her again: Taliban – Web Desk/Agencies

Will target her again if she survives because she is a “secular-minded lady”

Punjab announces 32,000 vacancies for teachers – Web Desk

first large scale recruitment by Punjab’s education sector in the past five years

Women paraded naked after ‘asking for girl’s hand in marriage’ for son – Owais Jafri

Jamila said that the men told her that they will teach her a lesson about honour

Bhoja Air crash in Rawalpindi: ‘No chance of survivors’ – Our correspondent/Agencies

All 127 people on board believed to be dead

Taliban ‘revenge’ attack on Kamra airbase – Shaheryar Popalzai/Nabil Ansari

Four suicide bombers had carried out the attack

Lucman, Bokhari run ‘planted show’ with Malik Riaz – Shaheryar Popalzai

What do you get when you leave the camera on during an ad break?

Pakistan’s first super model – Roland Borges

Rakhshanda’s love for Pakistan never died

The real Mahira – Anam Mansuri

Actress Mahira Khan writes obsessively

Pakistan maintains top slot in Google search for ‘sex’ – Web Desk

Number one slot for searching the term ‘sex’ globally for all years

11-year-old Christian girl accused of blasphemy – Qaiser Zulfiqar/Web Desk

The girl has been sent to a juvenile jail on judicial remand

Rs2.96 trillion budget for 2012-13 – Shaheryar Popalzai/Ema Anis/Ferya Ilyas

Scuffle broke out between PPP and PML-N parliamentarians during the speech

YouTube will not be unblocked anytime soon: Report – Web Desk

Officials determined not to unblock YouTube until anti-Islam video taken offline

Bhoja Air B4-213 crash: Passenger list – Web Desk

Number of adults: 110 - Children: 6 - Infants: 5

Cracks in PTI?: Qureshi vexed at Imran over by-poll boycott – Zia Khan

Some PTI leaders say Qureshi is angry at Imran for letting Gillani’s son win

Salma, Azfar and Naveen: A private or public affair? – Rafay Mahmood

After being married to Salma for 11 years, Azfar has tied the knot with Naveen Waqar

Aamir Khan to leave for Hajj – Web Desk

Khan was in Chicago shooting Dhoom 3 and returned to India

After 27 years at Engro, Asad Umar calls it a day – Farooq Tirmizi

Corporate Pakistan lost one of its most admired CEOs

Pakistani umpire denies relationship with Indian model – Web Desk

Asad Rauf admitted that his pictures with her are real

In Pakistan, underground parties push the boundaries – Reuters

“This is just epic,” says Numair Shahzada, bobbing his head to the beat

While the New Delhi gang rape case has resulted in outrage that has spilled into the streets across the border, the plight of women who have faced rape and sexual assault in Pakistan has been largely confined to formulaic articles in the press, slow-moving cases in the courts, and frequent dropped charges due to bribes, threats of further violence and family pressure on the victim to avoid further ‘shame’.

In 2012, The Express Tribune covered over 150 reports on cases of rape and their follow-ups across the country, but the actual number of incidents is likely much higher as the stigma of rape, treatment meted out by police officials and low prosecution rates makes this crime largely unreported.

While statistics are few and far between, according to a November report by the Awaz Foundation Centre for Development, as many as 2,713 cases of violence against women have been reported in 15 districts of southern Punjab since January 2012, giving some measure of the scale of the issue.

As such, the reports below can only be considered a small snapshot of the violence being wrought on the women of Pakistan.

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2012: Rape cases in Pakistan reported by The Express Tribune

Even those outside of the ‘liberal-fascist’ viewpoint are now beginning to understand that the months-long ban on YouTube is suspect, and few believe this issue is about blasphemous content anymore. The question is, who benefits from the YouTube ban in Pakistan?

Actually, there is quite a long list of those benefitting from the ongoing blockage of YouTube, including some very powerful players.

First of all, we have the establishment, who are reaping multiple benefits from the ban. The blockage of the video hosting site ensures that we no longer have terrorist outfits and banned organisations, ranging from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan to Baloch nationalists, uploading daily or weekly video updates from within the country of alleged battle conquests, soldier beheadings, or worse, videos of men dressed in Pakistan Army uniform torturing people. On the one hand, the spread of the militant/extremist/separatist narrative has been blocked, while on the other, the negative PR against the establishment has been stemmed as well.

Secondly, we have the political parties breathing a collective sigh of relief with YouTube banned. Time and again, YouTube has proven to be a deadly thorn in the side of the political elite, increasingly so, over 2012, as more and more people started to understand that the online channel gave individuals the power (for good or ill) to attack, mock, even expose the wrongdoing of those in power. The little guy (along with the conniving guy) realised there was little chance of being caught uploading videos to YouTube, and a high probability of the content snowballing via social media all the way into traditional media.

Whether it was private phone conversations between politicians and their secret lovers, or yelling “Shut up” or cursing at a gathered crowd, or even your face crudely plastered on the body of a dog, the threat of YouTube fuelled by mobile phone access across Pakistan has left politicians paranoid and genuinely fearful of (ironically) the democratising effect of these technologies. Additionally, let’s not forget that some political parties are now directly threatened by the more web-savvy parties who have learned how to use YouTube to their advantage.

Thirdly, we have the media elite who are sitting pretty with the YouTube ban in place. Traditional media has built a rocky relationship with YouTube. On the one hand, YouTube is a gold mine of crowd-generated content and also provides a place for the media to take its own content’s reach further than ever before, and allow for unlikely social change (think Rangers Karachi killing video). On the other hand, whether it is in the form of the Maya Khan debacle, the Aamir Liaqat Geo scandal or the daily pummeling mainstream anchors and media owners take via YouTube videos bashing or exposing them, those that have the real power in the media are not happy, till now.

The pattern emerging is clear. The YouTube ban is a classic attempt, albeit in a new arena, by those in power to maintain the status quo by blocking access to information. The public has allowed them to do this because the ban was initially framed in the name of religion. While the world moves ahead to more nuanced political and social systems, it seems Pakistan is still living in a Karl Marx textbook.

Unfortunately for the powers that be, this system — as exemplified by this ludicrous ban on YouTube — will not hold. The way forward is democracy, which signals the end of such autocratic shenanigans. The Internet in particular is a largely democratic, if somewhat anarchic system, and all overt blocks and bans will prove futile. If YouTube is banned, people will find a way around it or find new online spaces to operate in. Ban Facebook? Ban Twitter? Ban all sites disseminating information contrary to the agreed upon narrative? Best be prepared for a backlash, because ‘democracy is the best revenge’.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 14^th, 2013.

Who would have guessed in 2004 that newly launched social network Facebook would end up with over one billion users across the globe today?

Who could have made the even wilder prediction that 2012 onward, Facebook would be the number one visited website in Pakistan (Alexa.com), outranking the all- mighty Google.

Today, the social networking giant’s growing impact in the country cannot be denied, and by 2015, with greater internet penetration, its influence in all aspects of our lives, from politics to entertainment will be profound.

Possibly revolutionary.

Pakistan stats

Total monthly active Facebook users in Pakistan: 8,648,000 (grew by more than 1,162,040 in the last 6 months)

Facebook penetration of overall country population: 4.69%

Facebook penetration of online population: 29.69%

Position in the global list of countries visiting Facebook: 27

Majority of Pakistani Facebook users are young:

13-17: 1,183,640 people

18-24: 4,275,900 people

25-30: 1,767,800 people

30-40: 1,135,320 people

40 and over: 503,080 people

There are 70% male users and 30% female users in Pakistan:

Male: 6,068,700 people

Female: 2,557,960 people

Top 5 Facebook Brands with Pakistan fans:

              PAGE                   LOCAL FANS

1              OLX Pakistan        1,621,693

2              Nokia Pakistan     1,191,454

3              Intel                       1,157,929

4              Ufone                    1,048,053

5              Zong                      810,776

Top 5 Facebook Celebs with Pakistan fans:

1              Akon                      1,302,719

2              Shakira                  1,219,284

3              Atif Aslam             1,207,911

4              Justin Bieber         963,422

5              Ali Zafar                925,408

Random Fun Facts

Dedicated to console gaming: 547,980 Pakistanis

Big on cooking: 458,200 Pakistanis

Have an interest in dance: 601,960 Pakistanis

Like literature or reading: 1,954,080 Pakistanis

Own old computers: 1,874,220 Pakistanis

Newly wed in the last year: 99,220 Pakistanis

Number of declared parents: 198,080 Pakistanis

Smart phone/tablet users: 1,424,280 Pakistanis

Like fashion: 2,179,280 Pakistanis

Relationship status single: 1,930,500 Pakistanis

Note: Fun facts stats are based on what people have included in their personal timelines.

All stats reflective of April 2013, and gathered from socialbakers.com, facebook.com

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, May 5^th, 2013.

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Are 20 million online Pakistanis worth the time and effort it takes to build a winning web presence? Most political parties don’t think so, or possibly they have no idea how to actually do it.

A quick glance online reveals the wide disparity between the major political players. The 2013 elections may have them thinking differently now.

The online presence of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its emergence as the third largest party in Pakistan may not be altogether unrelated. The online landscape may very well be changing given the reality of the PTI’s success.

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The basics

Total Pakistanis online: 20 million

Total Pakistanis on Facebook: Over 8.5 million

Total Pakistanis on Twitter: 1 million

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Source: Alexa.com, websitetrafficspy.com as of May 24 2013

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Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 2^nd, 2013.

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For a journalist, perhaps nothing is a greater violation of human rights than the denial of access to information. In the case of Pakistan versus YouTube, I think the nine-month ban on Google’s video-sharing website is really the limit of regressive and, in the eyes of any global citizen who accepts the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, unethical and illegal behaviour.

I hold out no hope from the new government in this case.

It is clear that in a country as fragmented along the lines of “haves” versus the “have-nots”, “extremists” versus “the rest”, the ban on YouTube and possibly all of Google, in the near future, is the pragmatic (read: easy) stance to take.

Placate dangerous, religion-intoxicated extremists like Mumtaz Qadri, who are able to act thanks to the high-level of extremism in the average Pakistani, and let the small number of middle class, upper-middle class and elite, who are blessed enough to have access to the internet, suffer. The latter is far less organised and far less likely to start gunning down people in the streets over internet censorship.

Appealing to the government is also a lost cause because those in power benefit greatly from a ban on the internet, which they perceive to be a (quite real) threat.

Additionally, our Constitution is flawed and utterly inadequate when it comes to discussing the web; our media men and judiciary are, by and large, too old, unaware of and/or outright alienated from the online space to truly understand the issue.

Instead, I think, the YouTube ban should be proactively dealt with by Google, which should listen to the plea of ordinary citizens of Pakistan who are its customers, take a principled stand and refuse to negotiate with the government until it stops trampling over the rights of its citizens. Or to coin a childish catchphrase that fits this ridiculous situation — Google should ban Pakistan.

If I’m going to lose my Google products one by one anyway, I’d rather have it done with Google openly refusing to participate in the denial of my basic right to access information on YouTube or through search, rather than have the government place new bans every few months, or worse, Google agreeing to allow me limited access to its products/services.

Facebook has already bowed down to such pressure in the past and my access to some pages and groups is blocked because I am a Pakistani browsing from within the country.

I consider this a sign that Facebook has a sadly regressive streak in its management. To agree to set up such censorship in order to avoid being banned in Pakistan is akin to siding with the extremism and backward thinking that has this nation in its grips. That is not a helpful decision aimed at enhancing democracy — it is an extension of mob rule and a violation of human rights.

Where is my unlike button?

Where is my “If you are a Pakistani citizen but wish to opt out of this blockage, click here” button?

So, stay strong Google. You will not have much support in Pakistan, but your stand will be the right one. As a citizen of this world first, Pakistan second, do not limit my access to YouTube to secure a short-term solution to the ban.

Instead, ban Pakistan till the nation grows up.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2013.

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I ignored the gaping holes in plot logic. I suspended disbelief as long as I could and tried to match my emotional responses with what the film was trying so hard to make me feel. But I gave up when rogue Starfleet agent John Harrison aka the genetically modified superman Khan Noonien Singh (and a very white Khan at that) says, “My name is Khan…” and members of the audience whisper in response, “…and I am not a terrorist”.

Director JJ Abrams has indeed made a science fiction film, but I would be loath to call it a Star Trek film. It has little of the mystery of space and the wonder of exploration that Star Trek stands for, not to mention a (very Hollywood) injection of what the scriptwriters believe to be socio-political relevance ala a universe on the brink of war.

Aside from the opening sequence of the film, which promised so much Trekkie goodness complete with kooky-looking aliens and a reckless mini-adventure into a volcano, Into Darkness is not about space exploration or the deeper questions of science, man’s existence in the Universe and the ethics of dealing with alien life forms. No, it’s your typical, tired Hollywood cliché of good guys versus terrorists versus corruption within the good guys. It is a political-war drama that resonates well with current times — but I didn’t pay for a political-war drama, did I?

To be clear, the film has some merits, and is worth the money for the ticket. The acting is generally solid despite the deeply flawed script, with particularly outstanding performances from Zachary Quinto as Spock and Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, who is the real treat of the 129-minute feature. The special effects and 3D are very good, and the film is a visual delight. Unfortunately, just like the recently released The Great Gatsby, fans will walk into the cinema expecting an intelligent handling of a mega-franchise, and walk away feeling entertained, yet hollow and let down. (Warning: spoilers ahead)

I am enticed with promises of a Klingon war. I get about four sentences of Klingon and a total of 15 minutes encountering any alien species at all! I am introduced to a super-hot Carol Marcus, the love interest of Captain Kirk, only to find out she’s less scientist more military-baby with the flimsiest of reasons provided for her motivation to be on board the Starship Enterprise. Keep in mind, Carol is one of a total of two female roles in the entire film. The only other female with a talking role is Uhura, who spends half the film being strong and independent, and the other half as Spock’s whiny girlfriend.

Much of the plot is focused on Captain Kirk coming to terms with what it means to be a true leader and stepping up to that role, all the while building his relationship with his crew, particularly Spock. While Chris Pine does a great job playing the young Kirk, the script lets him down again and again. What we walk away with is a Kirk who is too easily swept along by the events around him, often happening at such a frenetic pace that we cannot appreciate the few tough calls he does make. Also, it seems a true captain is defined by defying gravity in some truly spectacular physical feats, or as film critic Christopher Orr puts it, Kirk is played as “one part Han Solo and two parts Evel Knievel”.

The plot enters a downward spiral the further you get into the film. Is Khan a super-hero or a super-villain? He starts out evil, committing acts of terrorism, but we learn he is fighting a corrupt military regime for the sake of his family. I’m confused, but not the good confused in which you feel a character is complex. Rather, this is confusion borne of poor scriptwriting, and while we do indeed end the film with Khan being declared one of the most dangerous enemies the Star Fleet ever faced (really? That’s it?), I am still rooting for him and his kind.

In the end, Captain Kirk is killed off for all of 15 lackluster minutes in what is a massive dramatic fail. If Abrams had left him dead only to be reincarnated in a third film, that would have been a brave and exciting ending. Instead, what we get is a painfully easy and predictable return of Kirk ala Khan’s blood — and don’t get me started on how poorly executed and forced was the entire side plot of ‘Khan’s blood is magic that revives furry creatures and humans’.

It is clear that Into Darkness is designed to appeal to a mass audience, and that is where it has failed for anyone who is not part of this dumbed-down blob of humanity. For the rest, the film is entertaining enough, visually appealing enough, and in classic Hollywood form, forgettable enough to fade into irrelevance without a second thought.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, June 23^rd, 2013.

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The mobile and tablet revolution is upon us, faster than we in the media industry can respond. News is becoming more social and more real-time. The future of news is conclusively digital and multiplatform. These are just a few of the key findings of the newly released Digital News Report 2013 by Reuters Institute.

Is Pakistan’s media landscape going to be impacted by any, or all of these global trends? Analytics seem to say yes, with mobile phones and tablets already forming a sizable chunk of daily visits to news sites including The Express Tribune and Express’s Urdu portal, with growth at a rate of multiple percentage points per month. A recent report by mobile survey company Ansr.io found that of the 30 million users online in Pakistan, 15 million have browsed the web using their mobile phone, while 11 per cent of 182 million page views in April 2013 were mobile visits.

This is good news for our media industry, for a number of reasons. For one, the Digital News Report found that “as people acquire more devices they consume more news in aggregate (time spent) — but also access news more often throughout the day.” For those worried that print editions will die a quick death, the report also somewhat encouragingly points out that across multiple countries measured, an average of 49 per cent of those who accessed news on a tablet said they also read a printed newspaper, at least, once each week. Claimed newspaper purchase (at least once a week) remained high — being strongest in Japan (68 per cent), Italy (59 per cent), and Germany (56 per cent) and lowest in France (39 per cent) and the US (42 per cent). If this holds true for Pakistan, in the next five years, we can expect digital to cause major changes in newsroom structures and workflows, possibly the downfall of a few who fail to adapt, but by and large, digital will only extend the range of options for readers, not replace traditional media for now.

Another finding of the Reuters report that suggests Pakistan is poised for a rapid digital media revolution is the fact that, “younger people are more likely to use social media and aggregator brands and in all countries they show a strong preference for online.” The report found that those under 45 cited the internet as their main source of news as well as their most frequently accessed source. Given that Unicef reports Pakistan’s youth bulge as one of the largest in the world, and the fact that mobile teledensity is 70 per cent of the population as of May 2013, it is likely that the big challenges that face mobile internet — including cost of smartphones and the ability to read — will be overcome very rapidly if young consumers are given half a chance and cheap Chinese-made smartphones.

We can also expect news brands to lose their role as gatekeepers of information as digital becomes more mainstream locally. The Digital News Report found that, “brands are being increasingly dis-intermediated by a growing range of pathways to their content. This is especially the case for light and occasional users and for younger users.” In other words, news brand are not the primary gatekeepers of information anymore. Whether the digital user is reaching a newspaper or TV channel’s content through YouTube, Flipboard, Google, Facebook, Twitter or any number of aggregators, what matters to him/her is finding the content they are seeking, with plenty of alternate options at hand. A seamless digital experience will, for many casual users, trump ‘good’ journalism in the future.

Whether our media deals with the digital revolution in a haphazard, adhoc manner or successfully strategises for a tumultuous future, as the Reuters report concludes, “the overwhelming message is that audiences increasingly expect news that they can access anytime, anywhere … clearly news brands still matter but a strong name and long heritage is no longer enough.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2013.

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While there are now over 20 million Pakistanis online – a number which is growing rapidly – there is very little documentation or research on how the internet is being used in the country.

This online survey, conducted through The Express Tribune and Express Urdu websites aimed to capture a snapshot of the local internet user’s perspective.

Both English and Urdu sites and their social media accounts were used to promote the survey in order to capture a wider, more diverse audience.

[Download the full report from Scribd]

[Explore all the data on Tableau one and two]

     ONLINE SURVEY BASICS

•  The survey was conducted over July 28-29, 2013.

•  A total of 1,100 respondents filled out the survey.

•  18-25 year olds make up over half of total respondents.

•  The survey highlighted a large gender disparity in respondents, with males dominating. This trend has been highlighted in the past; Pakistan’s Facebook audience was 70% male, 30% female in April 2013.

•  The majority of respondents (94%) are from urban areas, led by Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad.

     KEY FINDINGS

•  Laptops are the most used device (81% of total respondents) to connect to the internet.

•  Mobile phones (65% of total respondents used mobile to connect) outranked desktop computers (47% of total respondents) for accessing the internet.

•  A vast majority of respondents (97%) have high speed internet connections. Dial-up internet use is almost negligible.

•  Over half of respondents (60%) pay Rs1,500 or less per month for their internet connections.

•  A majority of respondents use the internet over 5 hours a day, followed by those who use the internet 4-5 hours a day.

•  Over 90% of respondents often use the internet at home, as compared to often outside (16%) and often at work (52%).

•  Social networks/chatting is the number one activity for respondents, followed closely by email and news.

•  Shopping online registered low with respondents.

•  Nearly all respondents are on Facebook. Twitter and LinkedIn are both used by at least half of respondents.

•  More than half of respondents say they have befriended someone on a social network whom they have never met.

•  41% say they have met someone in the real world whom they have only met online.

•  Over 30% of respondents say they have become romantically involved through the internet.

•  More than half of respondents have made a purchase online.

•  A greater number of respondents (56%) have made a purchase online, as compared to selling something online (26%).

•  More than half of respondents never click on an online ad.

•  In terms of video content, entertainment, news and educational videos all ranked high for respondents.

•  Respondents indicated they access videos nearly equally for news/documentaries, movies/movie clips and music.

•  A majority of respondents (82%) have used proxies or other means to access blocked content.

[Download the full report from Scribd]

[Explore all the data on Tableau one and two]

An online survey conducted on The Express Tribune website to uncover the views of Pakistanis on the Syria conflict found that a vast majority are against US strikes in Syria.

While views were significantly divided, the survey identified that more respondents felt the ruling Assad regime was justified in the ongoing conflict in Syria, as compared to those who felt the Syrian rebels were justified.

Most respondents believed chemical weapons were used in the ongoing conflict.

ONLINE SURVEY BASICS

•  The survey was conducted over four days – September 5-8, 2013.

•  A total of 556 people responded to the online survey.

These are crazy times we live in. We are in this war against bloodthirsty, tech-savvy terrorists for the long haul, no holds barred. This fact must be drilled into naive minds who believe a violation of fundamental rights like freedom of expression, right to information and privacy are a gross overstep by the state. We must remember that our brave parliamentarians have already signed off on such stellar legislation as the Pakistan Telecommunications (Re-organisation) Act, 1996, which allows for communication services to be suspended in the name of ‘national security’.

Needless to say, I support and applaud the Sindh government’s move to block and ban Skype, Viber, WhatsApp and Tango. In fact, I am so deeply concerned about the terrorist threat, that, much like the diligent student who compiled a list of 780,000 porn sites for the PTA to ban in 2012, I have come up with a game plan for our security apparatus.

First off, we need to ensure that the current ban on messaging apps is extended to Instagram, Snapchat, Pinterest and all other visual-based means of online communication. As Sindh Information Minister Sharjeel Memon so astutely noted, the “hoshyaar” terrorists switched from cellular service to online apps to avoid being tracked — what would prevent them from moving on to the next best alternative? I can already picture terrorists Instagramming their way through our vulnerable urban centres, setting up private Pinterest boards highlighting their favourite sites to bomb. Snapchat, in particular, is a threat, as the fact that exchanged photos exploding on a timer will naturally appeal to the twisted, militant mind. Let us not forget that these networks are also chock-full of young people of questionable moral character; the likelihood of these networks turning into a militant recruiting ground are high.

Ban them all I say, but remember, the ban on thousands of pornographic, blasphemous and anti-state websites has really not panned out, as citizens have turned to proxy servers, virtual private networks and tools such as Spotflux, HotSpot Shield and Tor Browser to circumvent such blocks. All these tools need to be banned and all future tools that allow workaround access to Skype, Viber et al must be banned too; else, this whole effort will be worthless.

I also noted that Memon has called on the federal government to contact the companies mentioned above to provide access to private user data. We all remember how successful the government was with Google on this front, so I recommend against turning to these terrorist-enabling scumbags. Instead, we should remember that our brave parliamentarians have recently signed off on The Investigation for Fair Trial Act 2013, which gives security agencies the authority to collect evidence online “by means of modern techniques and devices”. The Act has thoughtfully included broad definitions of who can be monitored and warrants are issued by a judge in their chamber — a process which is not public record.

Given this excellent legislative cover, I think the government should set up a secret agency comprising several hundred ‘online experts’, whose only job is to sit at the Pakistan Internet Exchange and monitor all these potentially deadly internet packets one by one. Billions of these packets will be unrelated, private exchanges between citizens, but I am sure these messages will provide plenty of fringe benefits to incentivise those carrying out this honourable work.

Once all communication in Pakistan is successfully blocked or monitored, we can then turn our attention to transport networks. Roads are used by terrorists far too often and must be banned. In case anyone feels this plan is ludicrous, we need only turn to Bilawal House to see a successful implementation. Remember, no sacrifice is too great in a time of war.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 5^th, 2013.

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It’s a bird. It’s a plane. No. It’s a guy in a green suit sporting a wicked moustache, a poorly sketched logo and a cape!

Meet Pakistan Man — the latest comic superhero to emerge as part of a growing trend of desi comics spilling over from the virtual world into print. Dubbed Pakistan’s first superhero, a claim some in the local community of amateur illustrators would dispute, Pakistan Man is the brainchild of 24-year-old Hassan Siddiqui, a marketing graduate from Iqra University, Islamabad. The self published comic is the logical final culmination of a childhood passion for drawing cartoons. The road to Pakistan Man was paved however, as it does for many aspiring young Pakistani cartoonists — on Facebook.

“HS comics were launched on Facebook in 2011. I’m the owner and artist,” Siddiqui says, narrating how the social network helped him build a fan base and improve his skills. “Facebook is a great way to show your art to people. It is a very important tool for any artist to start-up because it gives you instant feedback from your fan. You also have to be careful not to make mistakes in your work and deliver something which is on trend.”

Honing his art on social media, Siddiqui developed a fan following of over 13,000 on the HS comics Facebook page. While most of his toons were simple one-liners or 2-3 panel affairs on local politics and culture, the young illustrator/writer decided to work on a larger creative project around a local superhero, an idea he had first conceived in college.

The first issue of the comic is a fairly simple origins story, though its message is somewhat convoluted, something that perhaps unintentionally reflects the very real issue of existing conflicting narratives about Pakistan and national identity. While Pakistan Man seems to be an everyman superhero with a democratic bent, he also seems comfortable toppling the government. An overly simplified messiah, he is determined to save the homeland from all forms of injustice, including Meera’s English.

The son of a poor family, living in a small village called Sastapur, Pakistan Man dons his heroic avatar after a chance encounter with iconic hero Sultan Rahi. Five years of rigorous training and moustache growing later, armed with a superhero costume and the ability to fly, he is ready to save Pakistan as instructed by his mentor Sultan Rahi.

In the ensuing adventure, the man in green takes down pagal Sikandar, smacks a renowned female celebrity with an English dictionary, and then goes on to defeat The Corruptor, an evil super villain who is naturally a fraudulent politician sitting in the Parliament.

The drawings are basic, the inking is digital and the plot is predictable, but perhaps necessary for an origins story. “Pakistan Man is meant to represent the Pakistani people, showing how anyone can become a superhero,” Siddiqui explains. The fact that Meera is assaulted with a dictionary is “just a joke”. The Corruptor is an amalgamation of Pakistan’s leaders, and the fact that he is forced to flee the Parliament is a playful spin. “I wouldn’t say it is meant to send any big message about democracy. I don’t want people to take anything too political from my comic book, it is meant for people to have a good laugh and enjoy a good story which they can relate to,” explains Siddiqi.

The young creator points out that one of the biggest challenges to drawing comics in Pakistan is trying to tackle any issue without offending people. The lack of knowledge about comic books as an alternate form of creative expression does not help the situation either. Fortunately, the challenge of finding a publisher for the comic was bypassed by going the self-publishing route. “I had wanted to publish a comic book for the longest time. The total cost was about Rs25,000… I covered this with the help of a friend who also worked on it,” Siddiqui says matter-of-factly.

While inspired by the recent launch of Umro Ayar, an Urdu Comic book by Kachee Goliyan, Siddiqui set aside aiming for any monetary gains from the first issue of Pakistan Man.

“We felt it would be hard to convince paying sponsors for the first issue. Hopefully seeing our success we can get some sponsors for our next issue. Any profits generated from the first issue will go to the Edhi Foundation,” he says.

Whether Pakistan Man sees a second or third issue or ends 16 pages deep depends on how the current version fares with the audience. “Depending on the success of the first issue, Pakistan Man’s story may continue… hopefully in the future there will be more issues,” Siddiqui says.

While the dedication to publishing comics in the face of multiple hurdles is impressive, at the end of the day, Pakistan Man offers little that is not amateur or already seen before. The drawings are just a step above high school doodles and not in a self-deprecating, ironic way. The plot is tired, while the writing and jokes are childish, and unlikely to appeal to anyone over the age of 15. If our man in green does return, here’s hoping he works on his one-liners more than his punches.

Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, November 17^th, 2013.

Pakistan Man is available at The Book Shop, Jinnah Super, Islamabad; Famous Books, F6, Islamabad; Idris Book Bank, Rawalpindi for Rs90. The comic can also be ordered online from the HS Comics Facebook page for Rs145, including delivery charges.

Writer and journalist Muhammed Hanif’s latest article for the New Yorker accurately captures a part of the equation when it comes to our leaders’ twisted, yet, very vocal support for the terrorists that have killed thousands of our own. He writes, “The logic — or its absence — goes like this: Hakimullah Mehsud was our enemy. But the United States is also our enemy. So, how dare the Americans kill him? And how dare they kill him when we had made up our minds to talk to him? If the United States is talking to the Afghan Taliban, why can’t we talk to our own Taliban?”

Hanif is right in pointing out the logic is flawed, playing to the benefit of the militants and the continued disintegration of the state in the face of an enemy who truly, “believe in something”. What gets left out of his analysis was the very real role fear is playing in what, on the surface, seems to be clouded, delusional thinking and an absence of logic. I’m going to give our power players a little benefit of the doubt and assume not all of them are as clueless as they seem with regard to the direction they are pushing Pakistan with their calls for peace talks and condemnations of a terrorist’s death. Many of them know they are edging closer to a precipice, but are too afraid to turn around and face those prodding them forward.

They utter words that please militants to ensure their names, and the names of their extended families stay off hit lists. They speak out against the US and condemn drone strikes in the hopes that their words will stay the trigger-happy hands of the terrorists who have kidnapped their son, their nephew, their relative. They hold back on purpose, hoping to keep alive those of their rank captured from check posts, from raided prisons, during operations.

Through media reports, the public has been clued in to this strategy employed by the terrorists, but few can really understand the daily terror of knowing someone you love is being held in a terrorist camp — only Amna Taseer, Yousuf Raza Gilani and others facing this situation right now can really relate. Similarly, while the public is aware of the strategic holding and exchange of prisoners as a part of any war, most are unaware of the extent of the problem in the current war, or how deeply it could be impacting strategy. Bear in mind, this is just one of many terror tactics we tend to overlook in this debate.

Make no mistake, our state is under very real threat and no individual or institution involved is safe. I can vouch for this as a journalist. Without naming names, media houses and the journalists working for them live with fear on a daily basis, forced to self-censor, or worse, ordered to censor, retract or publish a counter-piece to whatever brought them on the radar. Promises have to be made to not cover a certain issue in a particular way, or in a particular context, or even with/without particular words.

In TV channels, everyone from the anchor down to the tickers desk may be told where the line is to be drawn, not as an editorial decision, but to ensure colleagues working out in the field or in vulnerable bureaus are not attacked.

While it is true that generally confusion reigns when it comes to Pakistan’s role in the war on terror, the role of fear — the terrorists’ real weapon — has to be included in any discussion of the current situation. Fear of death and personal injury. Fear of taking on an enemy, and losing. Fear of saying the wrong thing and getting killed for it. Fear of passing the wrong judgment in the wrong case. Fear is palpable in Pakistan; it can be felt across all pillars of the state. In such an environment, where those who are meant to provide you security, justice, governance and information are under constant attack, it requires no delusions or absence of logic to see why we are lionising our tormentors.

We are successfully being held hostage.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20^th, 2013.

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