[wp_ad_camp_1] Senior ‘journalist’ builds bombproof abode
By Chronicler
Islamabad
During the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s government, thousands of journalists have been rendered jobless and it continues unabated.
One wonders whether there would be any media industry in the country or there would be only vestiges after a couple of years if this unchecked sacking and firing of journalists continued.
Perhaps after a decade or so, copies of newspapers would be displayed in a museum to tell the young generation as to how a newspaper used to look. Besides the print media, the electronic media is also being muzzled, virtually taking it to rest in the country.
Pakistan witnessed some boom in the media industry during the era of Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf while it had gained its roots in developed countries decades ago.
We were the last one, as a nation, to see it flourishing and we would be the first one to taste the bitterness of its decline.
Recently the Chronicler while browsing some websites came across a website named as Imranjunior.com which had a stunning column on the socio-economic condition of a majority of the journalists these days.
The writer besides highlighting several issues of the fraternity also revealed that a known leader of the community has built a bombproof home for himself in Islamabad.
After reading about this bombproof abode of this journalists’ leader, this scribe sentiments were almost the same when Pakistan in 1999 World Cricket Cup lost its match against Bangladesh. Perhaps this metaphor does not match the bewilderment which this scribe actually faced. This blog left the writer stunned, bewildered and speechless.
How a journalist may afford a bombproof home in a country where a majority of the members of the fraternity hardly make both ends meet.
It again searched Google to know as what may be the price of a bombproof home in Pakistan. Unfortunately, there were no details about it pertaining to Pakistan but it was carrying a piece in which a nuclear bomb-proof in Georgia was shown as for sale against $17.5 million.
The amount of $17.5 million is awesome and seems beyond the limits of any common citizen of the country.
This scribe has been thinking since then as would the journalists’ leader house in Islamabad literally has bombproof features. It may also not be nuclear bombproof but perhaps it would have been constructed with the material which is missile-proof or bullet-proof like a thing.
If it is true then one must ask the question as to what the need of it was, or more importantly, how expenses for it were met. No Tom Dick and Harry can afford it. It’s factually beyond their imagination. It needs tycoons like persons to do the job.
It is learnt that this leader of the fraternity is not known for his services as a journalist as no one knows him due to his beepers on TV channels or due to his bylines in the print media industry. His fame is limited to his contribution which he has supposedly been rendering for the rights of journalists. The days have gone when a journalist was solely known for his journalistic traits and skills. Nowadays, much more is required to build a bombproof home by a journalist.
Beepers and bylines are issues of common persons who live in deplorable condition. These fellows can’t afford medical treatment of their family members at a decent hospital. They can’t afford the fee of expensive schools for their children. Even most of them don’t have a passport which is the primary requirement to travel abroad.
The time has changed and ordinary journalists are facing hard times. They are battling against all odds and fighting for their survival. The construction of the bombproof home by a leader of them would make them speechless. Perhaps these people would not be able to understand as to how a bombproof house would look like.
Ends
