The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has been informed that some 1,000 journalists of Islamabad had applied for plots after the government launched new sectors in Islamabad and invited applications from the general public, government servants and others as part of a uniform policy to give plots to those who were permanently living in Islamabad and did not have any property. A two per cent quota was also fixed for Islamabad-based journalists. A high-powered committee comprising government officials and senior journalists was formed which after careful scrutiny of the applicants, had recommended names of 172 journalists who were given plots against payments. The PAC is in possession of a list of 172 journalists who were given plots in the federal capital in line with their two per cent quota in G-13 and G-14 sectors (Express Tribune, November 2010). The names of journalists who were given plots against payments were:

Four journalists Rauf Klasra, Amir Mateen, Khaleeq Kiani and Javed Ch were given plots in light of the Lahore High Court decision of 2006 in their favour after their names were deleted from the final list on the orders of the then prime minister Shaukat Aziz.

The list also contains the names of PTV employees who were given plots. They include Nazir Tabsum, Qamar Mohiuddin, Nisar Baloch, Syed Javed Ali, Khalid Iqbal Warriach, Syed Zulfiqar Ali Shah, Ayub Minhas, Asmatullah Khan Niazi, Muzamil Ahmed Khan, Majeed Afzal Khan (Sajan Khan), Awaid Butt, Rashid Baig, Ramzan Khalid, Muhammad Arshad Saleem, Muhammad Zakariya, Musadiq Kaleem, Arif Mahmood.

An Open Letter To Marvi Sirmed by Usmann Rana. Thanks for speaking up.

Young Pakistanis never fail to inspire me. I have the privilege of a couple of weeks ago of helping to select one graduate to go on a scholarship to one of Britain’s leading Universities. How interesting and how tough it was! Nearly two hundred application forms had to be sifted, giving a wonderful glimpse into so many remarkable and remarkably talented young lives.

Many of the applicants had achieved distinction in difficult circumstances. True, a few had clearly been born with silver spoons in their mouths – and it made impressively good use of their advantages. But many came from poorer, far-flung backgrounds, some with difficult family histories, pulling themselves up by their talent and will power, working to pay their way through university.

It was tough to whittle down the applications to just 7 people to be interviewed. The selection panel were mostly previous winners of the scholarship. And how distinguished they were – a Supreme Court judge, leading scientists, a lawyer, a journalist, an academic and a politician. We interviewed all day. We did not find the choices easy. But in the end we had to select just one winner, all too aware of what a difference we were making to one talented young life and not to the dozens of other applicants.

 On various scholarships, through various channels, dozens of Pakistanis are enabled to study in the UK each year. But I wish it were dozens more.

The Pakistani media has been blamed to be destroying the nation mentally and psychologically. People say it has lost the meaning of being a responsible organ of the state. Journalists and anchor persons create propaganda and chaos through their programs. They are accused of being funded by foreign forces.
Is Pakistani media involved in spreading terrorism among its people?
Shouldn’t our journalists exhibit higher degree of responsibility?