Elections in Pakistan and its ramifications were written about in great detail. Several newspapers ran election stories on their front pages.
From writing on elections in Pakistan to ‘fake’ recovery of explosives near Sonia Gandhi’s rally venue to separatists’ appeal to Kashmiri migrant pandits to not sell land to outsiders, February has been a busy month for the Urdu press.
Elections in Pakistan and its ramifications were written about in great detail. Several newspapers ran election stories on their front pages.
There was detailed analysis of the prospects of the key players of Pakistani politics in the polls. When the results were out, there were detailed postmortem of the outcome.
“The popular belief is that the pro-Musharraf party may end up at the third position after Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari’s parties. It is clear that if elections are not free and fair, Pakistan may face another wave of violence which will make the lives of people difficult,” said Srinagar Times in its editorial two days before Pakistan went to polls. After the results stated tricking in the paper said: “It has now become evident that Musharaf has been rejected by the people of Pakistan. The opposition’s campaign against military dictatorship has been successful.”
On the domestic front, police’s claim that CRPF faked the recovery of explosives during Sonia’s visit stirred a hornet’s nest in Jammu and Kashmir. Most newspapers gave front page slot to the “fake” recovery stories.
Daily Eta’laat said whenever any high-level dignitary visits the state, the conspirators sharpen their tools to overshadow it. “It appeared as if a drama was being enacted by the CRPF to please its bosses and bag the rewards for gallantry. It is the need of the hour that there should be a permanent end to such dramas enacted by overzealous people,” the paper commented in its February 26 editorial.
Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s appeal to Kashmiri migrant pandits to return to their homes and live in peace with Muslims was reported by the Urdu papers. Most of the dailies wrote editorials saying it was the need of the hour.
What triggered the controversy was the statement made by deputy chief minister Muazffar Hussain Baig about the land allotment to non-state subjects. Some dailies reported that he has favored the selling of land to outsiders which is against the spirit of special status. Opposition parties reacted angrily to it. Some newspapers wrote editorials which forced Baig to take back his statement.
h_ishfaq@dnaindia.net
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