For decades, media outlets like BBC Urdu Service informed us but also improved the language skills of its listeners. One could have learnt Urdu and its correct pronunciation by listening to Sairbeen. But no more! With the departure of learned people like Raza Ali Abidi, BBC Urdu is at the mercy of newcomers whose command over languages — both Urdu nor English — is a pale shadow of the broadcast’s past. Incompetent musicians practice fusion music. Inadequately trained broadcasters fuse Urdu and English. Perhaps, popular idiom is evolving and fusion is the order of the day. However, this reviewer remains an adherent of old-school preference for correct use of language.
BBC Urdu proudly claims that a majority of its listeners are the ones who are illiterate and live in the far-flung areas of Pakistan. How could they understand the following advanced level English words and phrases, which are being used blatantly by the novices as well as veterans?
Assert and communal (Omar Afridi, April 19). Chaos and situation at 13:11on April 29 by Khalid Karamat. Kia chaos hay; ye kia situation hay? At 16:24, he asks Ayesha Siddiqa: Ye kesi governance hay? Not only words, in some cases, he would use full English sentences like what’s next at 23:00; security breach at 32:25; civil-military relations at 33:33; Abkia option hay at 40:36; concerns, obvious, centric, for example, Central Asia on May 13; NDS ka failure on June 1; backlash and foolproof on May 24.
Ironically, a seasoned broadcaster like Shafi Naqi Jami seems to have become a follower of Khalid Karamat. He used contents; carrot and stick [May 1]; trend; third-party verification (May 16) while talking to Musa Jalalzai at 21:00; update on June 6 and options twice, organization, question and proverbs like between the lines, June 12.
Iram Abbasi used tenure, freedom and space on May 16 while talking to Maryam Aurangzeb at 54:00.In the main bulletin of May 19, Farhat Javed used turn out while reporting on Iranian election at 01:30; dehshat-gardi ki nai definition by Adil Shahzeb at 14:58. Ghazanfar Haider said join kia on May 31. Omar Afridi used status quo (May 27); vision, objective tareekh on June 3; tanzeem underground chaligai on June 2; in relation to, agree, mausam enjoy on June 4; breach hui hay! [June 7]. While reporting on British elections, the word turnout was used repeatedly. Vote dalnay ka tanasab could have been used. On June 11, he used concrete, clashes and attack.
Khalid Karamat continues to experiment Urdu-English fusion in Sairbeen (June 10) by composing terms like face karna; minority say taaluq; campaign karna; parliament mein successful; tip of the iceberg; side lena; troops deployment; involvement; and already qualify.
BBC still has two great legends — Arif Waqar and Shafi Naqi Jami. Besides, it has the young Alia Nazki whose Urdu is impeccable. The newbies could be easily trained but Shafi Naqi Jami will have to exercise due care, or he can’t be a role model.
Sheeraz Chaudhry says Donald Trump is Mohammad Shah Rangeela of America (Ummat, June 6). The analogy is based on the common stupidities between Trump and Rangeela. The latter isolated the Mughals from rest of the India and Trump is making the US a pariah. Trump would do strange things wherever he will go and bring ridicule for his country and people.
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar has no match in making mockery of himself through his statements. All the papers of June 13 quoted him as saying that Chinese were kidnapped and killed because of the wrong use of their visas
Everybody is making fun of Firdous Ashiq Awan for changing political party third time — PML-Q to PPP and now in PTI. Writer Waqar Khan says she is a bold, courageous and logical speaker. She made Kashmala Tariq speechless by saying that she had not rose to power from somebody’s bedroom like Kashmala!
Nusrat Javeed writes that Imran Khan is a follower of Benazir and Nawaz Sharif in politics because he used the same tactics that the two used in the 90s.
(Nawa-i-Waqt, June 6).
Punjab’s law minister Rana Sanaullah declares Sheikh Rashid ‘Satan of Rawalpindi’ without naming him: ‘The Satan of Rawalpindi wants a battle between PML-N and institutions using the Nehal Hashmi’ incident. (Express, May 7)
Is JIT an institution or qasai ki dukan (butcher’s shop) question PML-N leaders in a statement to various papers of June 8.The next day papers quote Asif Kirmani as questioning, is it JIT or a James Bond film?
Asir Chohan declares Noor Awan (president, PML-N Japan) another Gullu Butt — Gullu Awan from Japan. (92 news, June 10). Taiba Zia calls him gadiwala gullu butt in Nawa-i-Waqt column.
The most important front-page story of Ausaf, June 11 is about the information minister Maryam Aurangzeb. Her mom tells the paper that she was an intelligent and mischievous infant!
Commenting on Tahirul Qadri’s arrival in Pakistan during Ramazan, PML-N’s Talal Chaudhry says he visits Pakistan every Ramazan for kharcha paani pocket money! (Express, June 12). The same issue reports that Punjab police is unhappy with its new uniform because it is just like the outfits of ordinary security guards. It has no rod dabdaba (terror).‘I will not let Nawaz Sharif become amirulmomineen even if he escapes Panama scandal!’ roared Bilawal in Daily Express, (June 12).
Interior minister Chaudhry Nisar has no match in making mockery of himself through his statements. All the papers of June 13 quoted him as saying that Chinese were kidnapped and killed because of the wrong use of their visas. Can he tell us the reasons behind the kidnapping and killing of so many Pakistanis taking place every second day?
The writer is a freelance journalist and researcher based in Islamabad. He has been editing Pakistan Media Monitor, a weekly media summary, since 2003. [email protected]
Published in Daily Times, June 26th, 2017.