Tools to befriend the media!

PR people are usually a source of nuisance to the media. They hound them to put in a good word for their client, try and stop negative news and are always asking for more coverage for the client. But as PR folk, we must strike a balance and make sure this relationship between our main stakeholders, i.e. – the media folk is of give and take. Let’s see what we can offer them!

Information:
First and foremost, the job of PR folks is to have the information and provide that information according to need. We know what makes good news and we can channel it through to the right audience! Information is also what sets apart a great PR person from the PR folks.

Contacts:
Our highest privilege is our contacts in all spheres of life, especially our clients – we are able to provide access to extraordinary personalities who may otherwise not give the time of day to the media.


Reliability:
The crucial thing about news is, it is time sensitive – PR folk are extremely reliable sources when a reporter has a deadline to meet and input from a client is needed. A PR consultant can badger the client into catering to the reporter then and there in order to achieve two goal;


1. Most important, PR mileage for the client
2. Obliging the media when they need it the most


Corporate Favours:
Quite often you will come across a situation where one of your clients is in a position to favour a certain media person in need of something, example; a discount on airfare, expediting delivery of a product and if you are really lucky – with an exclusive story that the reporter needs. These are small things for the respective client but come across as you have gone over and above and favoured the journalist. Never underestimate the small favours you can do for a media person, they can go a long way and help build stronger relations as well as indebt them to help you out when you are having a dry spell with a client’s PR mileage.


Entertainment:
Albeit being a very small part, PR people need to keep interacting with the media as they are the main stakeholders of the PR industry. It is always good to invite a journalist from time to time to an event of his/her interest apart from work (one company expense of course!) to make them feel special.


Insider Info:
This tool can be used in following scenarios;


1. Crisis management – Imagine your client being in a fix, you are the first person the media will call and you can give them the right scoop while safeguarding your client’s interests.

2. Industry FYI – As PR professionals it is our job to have an insight into the business community. This enables us to keep abreast the latest happenings and serves very well as a conversation starter with just about anybody. The trick is to share your insider knowledge by gauging the journalists’ area of interest and then give them the information as a thoughtful gesture of your close personal relationship with them, especially if the information is not related to any of your clients. It shows that you are well informed and the best source of information for the journalist.

3. The other side of the story – With your contacts, you can help a journalist out in getting the ‘other side of the story’ from time to time. This usually works in the case of policy matters involving large corporations.

Know Your Media!

They key to any successful PR campaign is knowing your media and their various social segments.

1. The Head Honchos:

These are the owners/publishers and their extended families and friends who basically feel like they own everything they touch as they are the people with the contacts! They are the glitterati of the media, usually spotted in the Sunday editions of magazines as part of every social event of the week.

How to handle:


They are easy enough to approach at a social gathering if you are dressed right and have a host of renowned clients to flaunt. Name dropping is an easy tactic to attract their attention.

 

2. The Serious Journalist:

You can spot this type of journalist by their appearance. They tend to be scruffy, always carry a notepad, wearing the press card like a badge of honour (usually stained and battered as though it was created in 1900) and dressed in clothes that were never in style. This breed almost always works in print—important to remember because the bad business situation of that medium really angers this folk and they are determined not to accept that newspapers will ever go out of style. References to it should be avoided at all costs! They HATE the PR people, firstly because they earn a lot less and always believe the latter to be lying to serve a client’s agenda.

How to handle:

Handle this group with care, and prepare for brusque behavior—and the distinct scent of stale cigarettes.

3. The Cub:

These are the fresh out of J-school lot who come with a vigor for the truth and nothing but the truth! They’ll be demanding, pushy, and generally unpleasant if they don’t get what they want. They have the power of knowledge and usually no respect for anyone other than themselves.

How to handle:

Don’t worry too much this breed; the Cub is not sent to cover stories of major consequence and is easily handled. However, they may go around sniffing for negative stories which may lead to a byline for them!

 

4. The I-am-the-media People:

They believe themselves to be the most IT-thing in media. Mostly the face of the show on the television or the local RJ who never intended to be journalists but are fulfilling their failed dreams of becoming a model/actor through the world of news. These are also the entertainment journalism folks who live under the delusion that their news sells more than actual news. They spend considerably more time on their looks than on learning the facts of a story.

How to handle:

Be careful – they may look impressive what with their designer clothes and almost always perfect hair but to get your message through REPEAT!

 

5. The Social Media Guru:

This mafia has come into force in the recent decade with the influx of social media. They call themselves Bloggers. These are the folks who perceive themselves to be the influencers of the masses today. They are usually the ones creating havoc on the internet and talking about controversial topics just to build a following.

How to handle:


This cult requires plenty of information and they want it now! The best way to handle them is proactively. Lobbying is a strategy applied best with this media.


Knowing the media will enable you to handle them such that your campaign gets an all rounded applause!

PR - 101

Growing up to the awesome-ness of Samantha Jones of Sex in the City, PR fascinates many. It looks like easy money – but the truth is its not!

To me, PR is living and breathing! It is a career built above all industries, politics and people. It is a lifelong learning which almost always pays off. Here are the basics of what a PR guy MUST know:

1. Research:

Knowing how to design and execute a research is a crucial part of the job. A core PR guy always knows the client’s business better than the client!

2. Writing skills:

A PR guy has the flair of writing. From basic letters to the drafting of a legal contract – a PR guy must know it all!

3. Media relations:

A good PR guy will never rely on allies such as media coordinators etc. They will know reporters, desk staff as well as the editor. Where delegating is an important part of managing the PR strategies, it is always best to be in control of your key stakeholders – the media. Clients will come and go, but good media relations will a long way.


4. Dealing with the media:


A good PR guy will always know how to handle what type and level of media. Where trial and error is part of every work sphere, dealing with the media is not something a PR professional can afford to just wing it!


5. Shaping the debate:


Everybody knows what goes on in mainstream industries. The job of a PR guy is to bring shape to that debate in people’s lives using PR tools to the advantage of their clients.


6. Planning an event:


From press conferences to hosting benefits, to lunches and dinners and so much more, a PR guy must know who to call for what and have the contacts to pull off an event which will be memorable.


7. Crisis management:


The bane of PR is managing the crisis! Identifying the issue at the right time and giving out a statement with sufficient facts in order to minimize the rumors. Key factor is, the media is the last to know your news, so always give them enough material so they don’t snoop around more, but not too much that they don’t come back for more if needed!


8. Using PR to create advocates for your client:


A good PR campaign will influence the masses. The key to influencing the masses is to convince the messenger to advocate your key messages with conviction. This will ensure good word of mouth and top of mind recall in the target audience.


9. Always tell the truth:


Always keep your ethical obligations in check – never compromise on the truth! Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, it's tempting to skip steps, make assumptions, and push the button before the facts are checked. Sometimes the client is asking you to do things that push the boundary of the truth. Sometimes it's your boss. Don't be tempted to take shortcuts that will undermine your credibility with your team, client, or employers.


10. Constant Learning:


PR professionals should be among the smartest people on the team. They're articulate, well read, and care deeply about the subject matter they represent. They keep up on current events, read the newspaper, and know about what's going on in the world. They must keep abreast the knowledge of everything and aspire not to learn their way about new PR/media tools but in fact want to be the one to invent new avenues of PR.

If Pakistan had never been...

Some thought provoking arguments come to mind when I see the state of our beloved country today and it all lands on; what if Pakistan had never come into being?

All the Indo-Pak history tells us that those were difficult times and that there was a need for a separate nation for the Muslims of the subcontinent. I however wonder - was there really? I mean look at India today, they are well established, higher literacy rate, successful, patriotic and there are Indian Muslims in high ranking positions not just in the private or entertainment sector but in the government and legislature today.
Of course this argument is now a moot point because Pakistan does exist and is sadly being run down into the ground by its own people.

Taking a look at our political and economical history I would say Pakistan started off really well. Pakistanis had a dream and everyone pitched in and did their part to get the country up and running. May it have been the militant rule or a democratic government, Pakistan was a production of its people. And today the people can make a difference again.

I think about how I can contribute in little ways and here are some things that come to mind;

• Promote Pakistani products

This is easy. Here I start with myself. No matter all the Maybaline(s), Clinique(s) and Mac(s) of the world, when it comes to my eyes, I trust only the "Hashmi Surma". I buy it and I know the majority of our female population buys it. When it comes to fizzy drinks, my preference is always "Pakola". If it comes to juices, why go for Nestle when Engro Food's "Olfrute" is just as awesome? Small things we can make a difference with, buy local products to improve the economy.

• Market our local industries internationally

Pakistan being an agricultural country has an amazing opportunity in the textile sector. Why don't we market our Gul Ahmed, Al-Karam and likes of it internationally? If we can have international designer outlets here in Pakistan, why can't our local brands have outlets abroad? Same goes for our crafts. We sell our own local crafts such as khusas, hand embroidered materials in various forms, ajraks and other cultural delicacies so expensive here, why can't we have a streamlined export of our cultural products worldwide?

• Market local talent internationally

Now Coke Studio has really taken our musical artists forward and it is great to have a world renowned top brand such as Coke back up our artists. However, our media (radio and music channels) can play a big role here by not only airing known artists but maybe taking one step forward and playing our national songs on a regular basis instead of just on 14th August. Our artists can do covers of these songs! So much can be done in this department...!
Same goes for our designers and designer brands. The leading names in our industry such as HSY, Rizwan Beg, Sana Safinas, Deepak Perwani, Amir Adnan, Nilofer Shahid, Bunto... and the list goes on... Instead of buying Armani or Gucci, spend the same amount buying from them! Gulabo, our very own truck art - then why bring back tuk tuk models from Thailand?


One can go on and on with ideas but the first and foremost idea is to take ownership. It is our country people - lets take it back! For whatever reason the partition happened, now it is done, lets make the best of it. Lets not get disheartened which leads our next generations to completely lose faith in our country. Sportsmen, politicians, actors and the likes come and go. Lets not let their mistakes become our identity. Lets not only come together during catastrophes like earthquakes and floods, lets be a nation all the time.  Lets be hopeful again... its a good feeling... :)

Pakistani Media - Friend or Foe?

The Pakistani media on many occasions has proved to be rather irresponsible and insensitive. Take the recent floods or the earlier Air Blue crash this year. The media was unstoppable! While one showed a cartoon plane crashing over and over again, others gave out misinformation about survivors etc. And now the constant flood footage! Whereas the awareness is good, I believe there is more to journalism than criticizing the government. There is a human element there, its people's lives and livelihoods, these are real time stories - but hardly anyone has captured anything factual and human apart from the obvious.

The Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (PEMRA) was established by Musharraf in 2002 to facilitate and regulate the establishment and operation of all private broadcast media and distribution services in Pakistan; in turn giving freedom of speech to the local media. Today, the same media which had literally limited or no rights whatsoever doesn't hesitate to criticize the man who provided this platform. 

How can we have forgotten the time of our former leaders when the media was allowed to provide nothing more than the essential news? How about the reign of Zia which made it mandatory for all women to have their heads covered whilst appearing on television? (An era more popularly know as the "Dupatta Culture") A romance scene in the dramas seemed like siblings conversing. Bhutto made it impossible for newspapers to print the truth by countering their every move. Junoon (Pakistani band) was banned from performing within their homeland during Nawaz Sharif's tenure for singing Iqbal's poetry in a new way to have more outreach, whereas in fact, the ban was an indirect caution to their single "Ehtesaab".

Then the media was given the chance to rise and today Pakistan hosts more electronic mediums than most developed nations. The media influences people, has the right to say or do whatever and clearly has no sense of regard for responsible journalism. I've noticed people are scared of the media. This is not how it should be, the media needs to be your source of information. There needs to be more to news than just yellow journalism which is a result of unprofessional media personnel being inducted into the work sphere of media outlets. Reporters are people who have had no formal educational training in the field, they don't know the right questions to ask or the right stories to investigate. This leaves our media a joke for the rest of the world and in turn an unreliable source. Channels get banned due to their tactless means and come back on air leaving no respect for authority which results in making Pakistan itself look foolish.

Our literary media, i.e; the writers, are a limited resource. Our film industry, once the classic silvers screen is now stuck in the same "Gandasa Culture" imposed in the 80's.

At the same time, we are all easily influenced by the media as well because it is a source of knowledge as well as entertainment and is easily intertwined in our daily lives. If anything, the media can bring forward a positive image of Pakistan and having spoken to various journalists on occasions, I know that they want to. But somehow it is not visible. 

What we don't realize is that news is not the only form of media., media itself is communication. Written records such as books are the purest form of media. Then evolving, newspapers, magazines, radio, television, film and now the internet - all media. Communication is a powerful platform which can make or break anything. The media industry itself is supported by advertisements, again, a form of media, i.e; influencing. It all falls into a cycle. One can't exist without the other. Then how is it so difficult to utilize these resources humbly, with caution? With all the pros and cons of the media industry, is there really a balance within our local media? Are we heading towards trouble, or is this the way Pakistan will move forward? Does conventional media still count as important or will new media take over and every layman will be a journalist in his or her own right? The question remains - our media, friend or foe?

Floods, PK 2010

JazakAllah! The people of Pakistan have once again come together to help their nation. I have been overwhelmed by the effort each and every individual has been making, especially after my worries regarding our Pakistaniat.
First and foremost - I applaud you all!
The Pakistani business community has been making tremendous efforts and thankfully everyone is donating to NGOs and responsible authorities, even setting up camp themselves and not relying on the government. Smart move people!
What I believe is important at this moment in time is the complete understanding of the picture before us, the casualties have taken place but there will be a lot more if a proper procedure is not followed. The affected areas are not only in monetary distress but in actual mortal peril. The disaster is massive and the repercussions are yet to be seen. 
From my observation through various mediums, there are thousands of people camped in one area with unthinkable sanitary conditions. This is just going to increase the intensity of diseases to come. *Safai Nisf Eman Hai* one of the basics of our religion, Lets concentrate on cleaning up the mess and cleaning after ourselves. The displaced may be in a state most of us can not understand but educating them about hygiene is important. I do believe the media has the power to impose the severity of this and corporations must speak out about it at various forums as well, as they are currently being approached by the media to speak about their relief efforts.
Just as water, food, medicines, clothes, tents and other daily use items are necessary for the affectees, proper sanitary equipment is also just as important to decrease the risk factor. It is important to have adequate cleaning facilities like washrooms and toilets, antibacterial soaps, toilet cleaners and a proper monitoring of these aids.
Preventive measures are always the way to go about things. Due to climate change and global warming we can expect many a floods in the coming years, lets stop procrastinating and work towards building smaller dams and reservoirs. The government has proven time and again that they will be useless throughout their tenures - lets work on it privately. I have seen various professionals talking about this very same thing on television and corporate social responsibility is a major part of any organization. This is a CSR project just waiting to be taken up. The people are willing to invest for the betterment of the country as is obvious, with complete transparency there is no reason why anyone will hesitate to fund these projects. It would be a very wise move on the part of the government to work clean and clear through this crisis and rebuild the faith but lets face it - that is just wishful thinking.
I know that as an average patriotic citizen, I myself will be honoured to help Pakistan in any way I can. I believe this catastrophe can be the right time to focus on being a Pakistani and making a better Pakistan. Each individual effort towards one goal is what makes unity - I urge us forward through this difficult time to come out in a better Pakistan tomorrow. Ameen.

Are we Pakistani only *once* a year?!

I was entering my apartment compound a few days ago when there was a water tanker in front of me and so the procession was slow - a car behind me kept honking throughout and when finally the driver overtook me and parked in front of B block a very hoity toity young girl came out of the back seat. I excused and requested that she ask her driver not to honk at residents within the compound premises and she turns around and says to me with a very strong fake accent, "Why? Everyone else does it." So I still said, "Yes but if everyone is wrong we don't have to be." and she says, "Why?"
To this day I am in shock about these educated fools who call themselves so civilized and elite. I do believe they are the real terrorists destroying Pakistan.
I write here complaining because the very same girl came to my building and asked for money to host a bar-b-q on 14th August yesterday! I was appalled at the short sightedness of people. The United Nations is giving out statements saying, these floods are worse than the earthquake of 2005 and the tsunami put together and the woman wanted to collect money for a bbq!
I ask - what is the point of celebrating an independence day when we are slaves to our own moronic-ness? All year round Pakistan is the worst country to live in and the people here are the worst - but on 14th August everyone is a patriot. As much as I appreciate that sentiment and the thought that there is still something holding this country together, I am very sad to say that it is not the lower class of this country which makes it backward - it is people like us who don't even have our priorities straight. We are living in limbo in a world only made for us, pointing fingers at each other and not realizing where we might be wrong. There is no sense of loyalty or humbleness left in us. We are selfish cowardly people, living life as if we will live forever.
Wearing our national dress or colours is not going to make us better Pakistanis, nor will it be anything more than yet another excuse to party.
I remember my childhood years in school, I think every boy in our class wanted to be a part of our armed forces. They wanted to make a difference. Today I don't see any of them serving the nation but at least they had shown an interest. I asked my 12 year old nephew the other day how is new school is treating him and his answer was great! glad I left the other school because this girl obsessed with me was spreading rumors about us. I was shocked. What has happened to our youth? Why are the kids growing up so quickly in all the wrong departments? Where has the innocence gone?
Are we really just Pakistani once a year? Where does our patriotism go all year round? Where are the national songs and colours throughout the year? Because I honestly remember a friend describing someone wearing a really cheap green jora at a mehndi - which describing she said, "yaar that ganda Pakistan green!" Yes I am associated with such people and probably am one of these people. But I want to speak out and say that yes I have been wrong and I don't want to be Pakistani only on 14th August. I want to be a good citizen all year round. I want to be considerate and law abiding and yes it is hard when people around me are not on the same page - but I do believe it is worth the effort. Each individual in his or her own right can help build a better Pakistan. Our youth can still be trained to care and not grow up heartless and cold. Lets work towards making ourselves better people. Lets work on us before anything else.

Who says our President is not concerned about people impacted due to recent floods!!!

Carrie's lost her charm - Sex and the City 2

Betsy Sharkey of the Los Angeles Times sums it up the best, "If only they'd called it "Almost No Sex and Very Little City," at least we would know what we were in for with " Sex and the City 2."

The movie starts off with a lavish gay wedding which may as well be the ONLY true part of the actual Sex and the City charisma. The movie as I perceive, killed Carrie's character and leaves something a bit incomplete about the real time drama.
Having relocated the set to the Middle East was not a very brilliant idea; firstly, it didn't keep in accordance with the theme of show - sex. Secondly, the point was to establish a healthy marriage between Carrie and Big with all the unorthodox ways and means they choose. This point could have just as easily been stated right there in New York - a city full of foreign working class in every nook and corner who are away from their wives trying to make a living.
Having said that, on the whole the movie was a sour disappointment except for the one highlight, the establishment of the fact that Dubai indeed is over and that Abu Dhabi is in fact the gateway to UAE.
Keeping in loyalty to my absolute guide throughout life, the show itself, I feel compelled to say something good about it - the clothes and accessories!
Still stunning and amazingly breathtaking... those women might have lost their way in the movie world but they will forever remain the fashion gurus of our time.

MQM shuts down Karachi once again...

If you live in Karachi, MQM is like a part of your everyday existence - they are happy, you are happy. In the recent episode of the murder of one of their people, Raza Haider, Karachi once again came to a halt.
I left for work early morning and found my way empty, which to a Karachi driver is the equivalent of a rainbow (almost never seen in Karachi). But of course I got happy too fast and ended up a couple of feet away from a torching and stoning session in full swing. I turned back and headed home - that was that... it was a holiday!
The feeling was of when I was a kid and would get to school early morning sometimes to find out something or the other has come up and the school is off. This was a very rare occurrence in Islamabad, my home town, but it did happen. But my unexpected holiday was nothing how I would've hoped it would be.
All of Karachi was shut down, so much so that I think even the roadside phoolwalas and magazine walas didn't come into work; hardly any beggars either. I made my way back home in yet again complete emptiness and a fear gripped the air.
As I watched the news channels one after the other I realized Karachi was a war zone and our government a perpetual joke. The death toll kept rising and one by one everyone I know who had been able to get to work in the morning started heading home. The fear of more violence drove everyone indoors.
On the third day, today, Karachi is still suspended in this situation of complete mayhem, with nearly 70 people dead and another 200 injured. As the murders, torching of vehicles, shops and pushcarts continue, the citizens have been left to fend for themselves. The government remains uncertain and has played no part in establishing routine in the city. Are our authorities always going to stay so defenseless? Will we never know a peaceful life? It seems to me that the government considers the protection of the lives and property of the people secondary to maintaining their own status by issuing statement after statement. Instead of discouraging our morally and professionally incompetent media from creating unnecessary hype - they insist on giving meaningless statements every other hour.
We really need some new blood in our leaders, a new dawn needs to break soon... Our choices are failing and it is about time for a change. I propose if people are to die - it may as well be a revolution! Maybe something better will come off of it....

Prem Chand, aged 26, died in the Airblue crash. His coffin was marked "Kaafir".

What complete insensitivity! I was appalled when I read about this.
My question basically is that who are we to identify anyone as a momin (believer) or a kaafir (non-believer)? Isn't that between the man (woman) and God? I know this is a question that has gone in circles since the beginning of time, but I wish to ask once again, who is a kaafir?
From what I have read and researched - a kaafir  is someone who believes in a greater power than God or shares the glory of God with another power human or else. I believe nobody can know about another's belief except oneself. It is a very subjective and private matter which is unlikely to come out in any discussion or action for that matter. I certainly don't mean to deny the teachings of Quran and Sunnah (God forbid) but I do believe it is insensitive to classify like this when most among us who call ourselves Muslims don't follow the religion properly. It is a matter for Allah to resolve with his people.
In a discussion with some colleagues, it was pointed out to me that the Quran states; "O you who believe! do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely Allah does not guide the unjust people."
To which my rebuttal still stands, just because someone is not your friend or and enemy even - you must not defame him/her. People may be good, bad or evil, they still came to this Earth with Allah's will and where it may be important to explain that yes Islam is the correct religion, another's disagreement does not give anyone the right to call the other person names. And just because someone has a different name does not mean that he had not at some point converted to Islam.
So many angles can be touched upon for this topic but I am not here to battle all sides of the story. Just here to say one thing:
Name calling is wrong people - that's the bottom line.

Beware the Dementors...

In my Daily Times days I did a story on the nation's morale being low due to Dementor attacks via the famous Harry Potter series.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\11\07\story_7-11-2007_pg12_1

Since yesterday i've been thinking maybe it really is true that these creatures of depression and gloom exist.

A plane crashed with people we knew or knew of or someone we knew knew. Today we are already forgetting about those people due to the many hardships facing everyone today. Nobody is happy. Everyone has a gazillion worries and nothing seems happy anymore. The happiest of occasions, births, weddings, graduations everything seems meaningless. You look at people's facebook updates and the entire news feed is full of disheartened and complaining people.

What is wrong? What is happening to the world? Or is it really the dementors afterall?!

...

3 wives seeking khula

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: A man’s third wife has filed a suit against him for marrying thrice without the consent of each woman, as is legally required in Islam. His first two wives live in Sahiwal. On Monday, the defendant’s father was cross examined by the plaintiff’s attorney.

“According to Islamic law, a man is allowed four wives only with the consent of the first wife,” explained advocate Sami, who is representing the third wife who is filing for the dissolution of the marriage in the Karachi city courts. “As many times as he marries, he must acquire permission from his first wife, although in this case the first wife or any of the other two wives had no idea about his other two marriages.”

The defendant is currently residing in Germany. According to advocate Sami, he is not a very well educated man and had told his wives that he was employed as a labourer with a local company. “My client was promised that she would be taken to Germany as soon as the visa came through once they were married,” he said. “But he left after 15 days of the wedding and came back after a month. It has been ten months to the wedding and he hasn’t taken my client with him to Germany.” Sami also said that his client assumes that her husband must have married a woman in Germany as well as he regularly travels back and forth between Pakistan and Germany, which she believes would not be financially possible for a labourer.

The defendant is also under suit for fraud in the Sahiwal courts by his first and second wives along with petitions for khula and the recovery of dowry articles.

And another...

Courts full of grandparents fighting for custody

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: At the city courts Daily Times found Thursday that most of the elderly people awaiting trial were fighting for the custody of their grandchildren in addition to a large number of people pursuing property cases.

“I have been coming to the courts for the past three years,” said Shahida, who said she was in her early 70s, “and before that, my deceased daughter was fighting for the custody of her son, who is now nine years old.” Her daughter Noveen, who passed away from cancer three years ago, had come back from England when her child was seven months old. Noveen had moved to London after her wedding, but her marriage was on the rocks soon after the birth of her child. She came back to Pakistan and filed for khula on the grounds that her former husband was a violent man and had even tried to strangle their child while in a drunken state.

“Before my daughter passed away, she transferred the child’s custody to me at the age of seven. He has been living with me for the past nine years and I can’t give him up, even at this old age.” Shahida agreed that although it was practical to let the child live with his father, the child himself did not want to live with him and the judge monitoring the meetings had ordered that either the child’s grandfather or his uncle be present at all times as the father had been rude to him a few times in the meetings. The suit for custody was filed after Noveen’s demise and the case had been pending for the past three years.

Another woman, Izzat-un-Nisa, was there with her two grandchildren, aged seven years and five years and her daughter. “My daughter got separated after the birth of her first child,” she told Daily Times, “but she reconciled with her husband. However, during her second pregnancy, her husband disappeared on her for two years, after which she had no option but to file for khula upon which, her husband claimed conjugal rights.” Izzat-un-Nisa recalled that khula was granted after two years and before or during that time, the husband had been missing from the picture and only came back last month, to file for custody once the elder child turned seven years old. When asked, the children did not recognise their father, who was unemployed and lived with his mother, divorced sister and her three children. The father had not provided any maintenance or child support but in his appeal, he was requesting custody of the children because he repented his loss and wanted to give them a better life, which he felt the boys could only have in the presence of a father.

Most grandparents who Daily Times talked to were maternal grandparents, regarding which, advocate Taeeba remarked: “This is a consequence of the steadily increasing divorce rate in the country. Most women who suffer from broken marriages are supported by their parents today.” She cited the increased literacy rate in women as well as greater awareness as the main reasons for parents standing up to support their daughters. Taeeba also said that women today were more aware of their rights under the Shariah laws and had become more career-oriented. “They have changed their lifestyles according to their own convenience. Where this evolution is a positive occurrence, it is also one of the major factors for the increase in divorces and long proceedings with maintenance trials, recovery of dowry and most frequently, custody cases.”

Another court story

Intermarrying means a double divorce for some

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: Some of the messiest divorces can involve intermarriages in which two members or more of one family marry into another, some lawyers told Daily Times.

While intermarrying is a popular tradition, few families realize while entering the contracts, that if one of the couples runs aground, the divorce can have just as bad an effect on the other couple. Advocate Bilal related the story of two families that went through this. “It was a simple case of vata sata in which one husband divorced his wife on the grounds that she couldn’t conceive,” he said, “but this resulted in the divorce of his own sister who was married for five years with two children only because her husband retaliated to the divorce of his sister.”

Some people reason that intermarrying is a deterrent to a break-up as double family links have been created. “The general assumption in such cases is that the couple will be made to reconcile due to family pressure and the case will not go very far as there is dirty family politics involved in these matters,” said Advocate Shahid. He gave the example of a case he has been working on for the past eight months in which his client and her sister married two brothers living in the same house. When his client filed for khula in September she had provided proof that her husband was not earning enough and that she had been supporting him and their three children by working as a sweeper in two houses and a school. “She came with the firm conviction of getting khula and latter acquiring custody of her children as there had been incidents of physical abuse by her husband and she was scared for her daughters,” Shahid said. Once the evidence for the defendant began his client backed out, saying she had reconciled with her husband and would withdraw her case. “However, she came back after two months and filed for khula again.”

Advocate Jamal Agha said that ironically such cases were common in families that considered divorce taboo. But they are also common in ‘wata sata’ or the tribal custom of spousal exchanges to settle disputes. “This is common mostly in the Sindh interior courts or in the Punjab,” said Advocate Bilal, “although you do get these case in the city courts.”

An estimated five thousand divorce cases are pending each month due to adjournments, the lawyers added. The delays add to the stress and strain. “Apart from the recent backlog due to the protests, on a regular basis over the year 2006 approximately 16,000 divorce cases were carried forward to 2007,” said Mushtaq, a registrar at the city courts.

Lawyers said that they felt that the litigation, especially for cases of khula, is complying with the fast track system that has yet to be established properly in everyday court proceedings. “The reason why these cases take time to reach a final order lies with the plaintiff’s own actions as we know that the lower and lower middle classes opt for legal aid as a last resort,” said Advocate Shahid. For him, a majority of the cases were pending as some domestic issue or the other prevented the plaintiff or the defendant from either coming to court or providing sufficient evidence.

One of the first court stories

Divorce rate rising 30% yearly over incompatibility

* 1,800 cases pending in East wing of city courts alone: a lawyer

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: Rough estimates on the divorce rate in family courts shows that in the last 10 years numbers have gone up by 20 to 30 percent every year.

"This is mostly due to the fact that women are granted khula without the husband's consent," claimed Advocate Riaz Alam Khan. "There are over 1,800 divorce cases pending in the East wing of the city courts Karachi alone, which caters to a small area only," he said. Divorce cases that should take six months, usually go on for an average of two years.

Daily Times spoke to a large number of people filing for divorce or going through divorce proceedings at the city courts. A rough estimate indicated that every third to fourth family had a direct divorce case. "The abuse of the woman is not a major factor affecting the divorce rate as such anymore," said advocate Humaira. "In rape or harassment cases there may be some form of abuse but actual physical abuse is not very common anymore as women are more liberal now."

In her experience, Humaira said that the divorce cases she handled focused on compatibility. "In court people may give a lot of excuses and stories to get out of the marriage contract but in fact the real issues lie in the awareness of women and men these days."

Most young unmarried people who were questioned by Daily Times felt that divorce has become too easy a way to get out of a "bad deal" they made. A survey of the women filing for divorce showed that their primary reasons were being "unable to adjust" to family life. "I have been working on this marriage but the fact is that different backgrounds do bring about several issues which cannot be compromised upon," said Salma, a claimant for khula. She was married to Kamran for three years with no children and had a "non-friendly" marriage as described by Kamran. "It is important to have the compatibility element in any relationship, let alone marriage," he told Daily Times.

Another factor affecting the divorce rate appeared to be the female literacy rate. "Men need to earn a living and usually don't get the opportunity or time to study beyond middle school," said social worker Samra. "Their wives, on the other hand, are working as housemaids or sweepers and are thus interacting with the educated members of upper society compared to their husbands doing physical labour at a construction site." The women she came across felt the need to learn. "The women working as housemaids learn English from the children of the house, or the schools they work in or just generally from their friends in the same network."

Interview with Barrister Kamal Azfar

Even kangaroos can become derby winners: Kamal Azfar

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: Kamal Azfar, who is a former governor of Sindh, a barrister and is affiliated with the Pakistan Peoples Party, has justified party chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s comment that the judiciary was hopping around like ‘kangaroos’ by saying, that “even kangaroos can become derby winners”.

“I look upon this as a great awakening ... a time when Pakistan is coming of age,” he said when asked how he viewed these developments on the judicial front.

“The unconstitutional removal of the chief justice by General Musharraf has succeeded in uniting the entire legal fraternity of Pakistan. I don’t regard General Musharraf as the president any more as he keeps re-electing himself, which is illegal appointment; he cannot be both the chief of army staff and the president.”

According to him, the judiciary is a fundamental organ of the State along with the executive and the legislature but by keeping it non-functional [Musharraf] has put the state on a respirator.

When asked to comment on the nature of the allegations against the chief justice, Azfar said that: “The only crime that the chief justice committed was [that he was] independent and as Justice Wajiuddin said, our only non-negotiable demand is for General Musharraf to withdraw the reference and reinstate Justice Iftikhar Ahmed Chaudhry as the chief justice.”

However, this is not the first time that such action has been taken against a judge. In the past there have been such references, Azfar said. Three of those judges resigned even before the proceedings began. “The only difference right now is that the chief justice will not resign from office and the reference will be conducted through and through.”

Azfar was critical of what he called the government’s belief the problem would have “fizzled out” in the absence of Justice Rana Bhagwandas as the first hearing was scheduled on March 21 when the senior most judge of the Supreme Court was not in the country.

“In [my] meeting with Iftikhar Chaudhry, [he] said he had gone to meet the president under the impression that the issue of the elevation of the judges of the judicial council was to be the focus of the meeting. Instead, he found he was detained there and notified about the reference against the chief justice.”

Azfar said that he found the chief justice under house arrest even when he went to meet him on March 17. “I had to pass three barricades to get to the house and I found that his vehicles had been confiscated as well,” he said. According to Azfar, this was why Justice Chaudhry decided to walk to the reference on the 21st and refused the transportation provided by the government.

According to the rule of law, the head of the state does not have the right to make any decisions unless it is on the advice of the prime minister, Azfar maintained. If the Supreme Judicial Council had sent the reference, then it was at the president’s discretion to allow the reference or not but he himself was in no position to take such a decision, he said.

When asked whether he believed that the president could impose martial law if he were not re-elected, Azfar replied in the negative.

“I don’t believe General Musharraf is in any position to impose martial law as he is no longer the darling of either the western powers or the people of Pakistan. The time of Ayub Khan and Yahya Khan back in 1969 was a different story altogether.”

In the end, he said, there is a need for checks and balances in all three limbs of the State. “But the legal fraternity has faith and we are now standing at the crossroads of a trial-and-error democracy and martial law.”

Media's influence on students

Parents unhappy young people dropping out to join the media

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: More and more students are deciding to enter the Media as a profession before finishing school and many colleges report a steady dropout rate for young people venturing into the broadcast media.

Since the country’s first FM radio channel hit the waves in the late 1990s, radio has largely become a source of extra pocket money for young people who wish to work and study.

Students who spoke to Daily Times said this had not affected their career or education. “It’s fairly simple. I’m sure people my age join the media for money and exposure. Also, you get to meet people in the media and you realize what you have been missing out on,” said Ali Sattar, who dropped out of his first-year of law to work for a radio channel. His mother’s friend, who is the CEO of the radio channel he works for, approached him and said they were expanding their channel’s marketing department for which, they were putting together a team. “Each year, there has been tremendous growth and there is a lot of exposure. Since I joined, I have met most of the owners of Karachi’s most posh restaurants. It’s just a really fun job and what makes it even better is that I have [the channel] backing me up with everything I do.” When asked what about his education, Ali said he had every intention to complete a degree because one can’t go too far without it.
“I started off as one of the very first DJs at the radio channel back in my A-Levels and there has been no turning back since because after I started working with FM, I realized this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” said Fahad Panni who has been with the media for the past 12 years. He said it wasn’t about money initially and he joined because it was just a fun job. The money became good later on and 12 years later, he had foreign universities offering him a Masters degree without an undergraduate degree because of his work experience. “I have no regrets dropping out of college but I firmly believe that education is important,” Panni said.

Others choose to hang on to college and work at the same time. Shahzad Sheikh is one of them. Currently in his last semester of his undergraduate degree at one of the city’s most reputable business schools, Sheikh is ready to follow in the footsteps of his father, a well known name in the film industry. “I want to pursue a media career but I want to complete my education first. I do feel that it is important to learn how things work in the industry so I have occasionally taken up modeling offers.”
Ahmed Safder is studying towards an undergraduate degree but also hosts three television shows for a local channel. “I can cover my basic expenses and my tuition fee at college and save up enough as well,” he told Daily Times. “Initially, I hadn’t planned to go into the media but then, I got an offer for a play called ‘Karachi High’ and I started off from there. Before that, I used to work for a multinational company and study in the evenings but it was very tiring. Media, however, has given me the opportunity to make money, keep myself busy and have time for myself and my studies as well.”

When Daily Times spoke to parents of those who had dropped out of school to pursue a career in radio or television, opinions seemed divided. “I appreciate it that my son feels responsible enough to be working at the age of 19, but I also feel that he will not make it very far in this field. Let’s face it, it is not a very promising career,” said Mrs Hussain. Her son took up Law after his A-Levels. While he was waiting for his results, he received an offer from a radio channel and decided to take it up until he went back to college. However, he then chose to drop out of college to continue his job at the radio station. Mrs Hussain is a doctor.

Her husband agreed that academics were essential. “I have nothing against the media and I agree that my son enjoys his work, but he doesn’t have a degree and his work is at odd hours, which does not allow him to have a proper routine in life. God forbid but I eventually foresee him having trouble with his family life as his work is bound to interfere with the family structure.”
Anees Ansari is another concerned parent. His daughter changed her major to Journalism while she was in her final year of BSc Economics and Management. “A career in the media is no career at all. The fad would eventually fade away unless you are working in production or direction or anywhere behind the scenes, which in itself is not a steady income sometimes,” said Ansari. He was also critical of the monetary benefits of journalism. “I don’t think that the salary that young people get or would get in another five years with the steady rise in inflation is sufficient for a comfortable lifestyle.”

Final HP launch

Pagal for Potter!

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: The morning of July 21 saw Park Towers coming to life with children and adults of all ages coming in one by one to collect their copies of the last Harry Potter book, ‘Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows’. The launching ceremony, scheduled for 4:00 am on July 21, was cancelled due to a bomb threat at Park Towers earlier in the night.

The children had initially suffered the most disappointment. “I had been counting down the days to the launch ceremony, and was really excited about going to get the last book at 4:00 am,” said 12-year-old Mehr Ahmed. “We didn’t make a fuss when my mother sent us to bed early. Then 30 minutes later she told us the devastating news. I couldn’t believe it.” Mehr said that she wanted to make the bomber understand the devotion to the Harry Potter series, adding, “I wanted to tie him up, make him read all the books from the beginning to end, and then bomb him!”

Eight-year-old Zain Ahmed felt the same. “Since July 1 we had all been looking forward to the final book, and then we were told that there was no launch,” he said. “Now I have to wait till 10:00 am to get my book. I’m very disappointed.”

“I couldn’t wait to get started on the book. I slept early, around eight last night, so that I could come to the launching ceremony and start reading as soon as I got my copy,” said excited 13-year-old Asma Aijaz. “But when I woke up in the morning I found out the launch had been cancelled. I finally got the book around 10:30 this morning.” With crossed fingers, she added, “I can’t wait to find out how it ends. I just hope J.K. Rowling doesn’t kill Harry!”

It was not only the children who were let down. Even grown-ups were disappointed over having to wait till morning to buy the book. Mariam told Daily Times that, although she had not been a Harry Potter fan for too long, she had actually made plans till 3:00 am so she could wait for the launch.

Others who had not yet read the book were impressed with the service provided by the bookstore. People who had booked their copies received text messages till after 9:00 pm. The government also issued a notice announcing the launch’s cancellation. “I was informed of the launch ceremony being cancelled well in advance,” said Sameea Rashid, a mother of two who had brought her children to get the book early in the morning. “The cutest was the text they sent to customers on how the event was to be an invitation to all the little witches and wizards to find out the fate that awaits Harry!”

There seemed to be a lot of argument over children wanting to read the adult version of the book. “The shopkeeper said that there isn’t much difference in the books apart from the easier English in the children’s version, so I am letting my children get the adult one,” said Sualeha Siddiqui with a wink. “But obviously I will proofread it first.” She said that Harry Potter had fostered a fondness of reading in her children and she trusted that the adult version would be just as child-friendly. The bookstore has suffered a big loss, according to its representative Ronnie. It had prepared live characters from the book to mingle with the crowd during the ceremony. “We had two containers full of props and costumes to make the entire area look like a scene right out of Harry Potter,” he said. Over a thousand books had already been pre-booked by mid-day, but a lot of people had purchased copies without prior booking as well. “I can’t imagine the amount of money and effort that has been wasted,” added Ali Rizvi.

Mehr added that it had taken her six hours to finish the book. “I had lunch at 5:00 in the evening because I couldn’t stop reading the book. At first it was boring because I already knew the ending from an Internet link my uncle sent me the previous day, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The ending is really awesome!”

Facebook

Children being stalked by parents on Facebook

By Uroos Ahmed

KARACHI: Sadia was disgusted to find her mother popping up on Facebook one day.

“I was horrified when I realized my mother is on Facebook. She just popped up on my cousin’s ‘friends list’ one day and here I was thinking she didn’t even know how to send an e-mail,” said the dismayed surfer.

But that wasn’t the end of it; Sadia’s mother made it her business to check her wall whenever she logged on. “We don’t feel comfortable including our parents in what we do online no matter how close and friendly our relationship is. It’s like a code; you don’t interfere with someone’s online activities,” Sadia told Daily Times.

For young people, Facebook, Myspace and Orkut were the only space where they could interact minus parental control. Initially designed for the benefit of university students to remain in touch with their classmates during the academic year, Facebook has branched out into thousands of social networks from high schools to cities, linking almost anybody and everybody. But now, the latest group to jump on the Facebook bandwagon is the parents, who are receiving a less than welcome reception from the young ones.

Second-year BBA student Umaina who always did well in class, was grounded during her exams because her mother came across certain posts on her ‘wall’ that indicated Umaina had been socializing when she was supposed to be studying for her finals.

“I always study in a group with my friends, and of course when we got together every day and we didn’t always study and not talk. We do a lot of crazy stuff when we are taking a break from work,” she said.

However, despite Umnia’s heartfelt explanations, her mother stuck to her decision. “It was unbelievable! I am a BBA student and I was told to sit home till my exams and what’s more embarrassing is that my mother talked to my friend’s mother and my friend ended up getting grounded as well.”

A Level student Mohsin Anis was “stalked” by his mother on Facebook for weeks. “She told me I shouldn’t be on it because I was acquiring bad habits,” he told Daily Times. “I’d like to ask her whether invading other people privacy is a bad habit, because she is guilty of doing that. Two more weeks of constant arguments with [my mother] and she finally admitted to thinking that I and my friends were addicted gamblers because we had added the Texas Hold’em Poker application and we played poker on Facebook.”

Tania has taken a softer approach. “We don’t mind that our parents are on Facebook as long as they don’t expect to become our buddies. We live in the same house for God’s sake!” she cried. Now her parents expect her to allow them in on her Facebook fun and actually got upset with her when she didn’t “Superpoke” them enough.

“I cannot block my mother or put her on my limited profile because she will know something is missing,” said Maryum, who got into a lot of trouble because her mother saw tagged pictures of her on the beach when she was clearly told not to go. “I have to be very careful of what people are writing on my ‘wall’. I also have to worry about what is being said on my friends’ ‘walls’ because my mother has added them as a friend too.”

Some people don’t mind their parents getting a Facebook account, as long as they don’t abuse the application and stalk them. Not adding them as a friend would be a better idea. “They should go get friends of their own,” said Sadia Jatoi. “Facebook is a means of communicating with people you don’t see every day. I don’t leave daily posts and emails for my friends nor do I expect them to, and that is why I don’t really see the point of adding my parents or even siblings to my list.”