Pak. electronic media dons Parliament role

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, JUNE 18. The state-controlled electronic media in Pakistan has emerged as a `virtual' Parliament with the military government at the helm of affairs and the National Assembly in suspended animation.

The Finance Minister in the military government, Mr. Shaukat Aziz, today presented the budget for 2001-2002 on the Pakistan Television and the Pakistan Radio.

It was his second budget presentation through the electronic media.

Political observers in Pakistan point out that there is nothing new in presentation of the union budget through the electronic media.

In a way it is the innovation of the military that has ruled over the country for more number of years than all the civilian governments put together.

``It has happened in the past. After all, the governance cannot come to a halt just because there is a military government in command. The affairs of the country have to go on and the electronic media certainly comes in handy to reach across to the whole country,'' said a senior journalist.

The Musharraf Government has been making optimum use of the electronic media to reach out to the people of Pakistan.

Budget is not the only instance where the military government has sought the help of the electronic media to communicate directly to the masses.

Three days ago, the Pakistan military ruler and the Chief Executive, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, chose to go live on the Pakistan Television and Radio answering a whole range of questions posed by a select group of journalists who formed part of the audience in the studios.

The live telecast was watched with great interest not only in Pakistan but also in India in view of the coming Summit meeting between Gen. Musharraf and the Prime Minister, Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee.

The programme `face the nation' has proved to be a hit. There were rave reviews in the media on the performance of Gen. Musharraf.

The overwhelming opinion about the live performance of the Chief Executive was that he has managed to come out `unscathed'.

Last week, PTV and Pak. Radio broadcast the much talked about speech of Gen. Musharraf to a group of clerics on the occasion of the birthday of Prophet Mohammad wherein he urged them to restrain the irresponsible elements among them from their meaningless anti-India tirade.

The media hailed it as a `courageous and bold' speech and thanks to PTV and Pakistan Radio he had managed to reach across the length and breadth of Pakistan.

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Section  : International
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