An unpleasant odour

There can be few of the myriad cultures that make up Pakistan that are as sensitive about their identity as the Pashtuns. Recently they have been gravely — and rightly — offended by a poem broadcast on the state TV channel Pakistan Television (PTV). What we find astonishing is that those that run the station and are responsible for what is broadcast thought that the poem, details of which we will not repeat, was fit to broadcast in the first place so offensive was it. It would have been offensive if it had been directed at or lampooned any of the national cultures, but aimed as it was at Pashtuns it was petrol to the flames. Public protest quickly followed.

The Minister of State for Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage, Marriyum Aurangzeb, rarely finds favour in these columns, but her decision to ban, for life, the poet responsible from participation in any PTV programme has to be the right one. She further directed the information secretary who also happens to be the managing director of PTV to conduct an inquiry and submit a report to her as to who was responsible for the episode that had a considerable attached volatility.

There is a code of conduct in place at PTV that does not allow the profiling, stigmatisation or stereotyping of any individual, caste or community. Either those sanctioning the broadcast were unaware of this or they chose to ignore it. In either event this is a serious breakdown of ethical standards within the national broadcaster that is seen by millions daily. The federal secretary for information and broadcasting has now apologised to Pashtuns for hurting their sentiments but this is an incident that is going to live long in their minds, and unlikely to be erased by a simple apology. It should never have happened and heads need to roll at PTV. Soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2017.

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