Extreme radio
August 20 2006: The government seems to be having a tough time dealing with the proliferation of illegal FM radio channels in parts of FATA and adjoining districts. It would not be such a problem if these radio channels were airing the usual entertainment fare but what makes the situation particularly problematic is that those who established them to spread sectarian, extreme views and intolerance in general are using these channels. In parts of FATA, rivals who believe that they belong to opposing sects have used FM radio channels to pour inflammatory language against each other, also in the process inciting those in their respective camps to take to violence against those belonging to the rival sect. A fallout of one such battle fought on the radio airwaves may have been (according to depositions made during an official inquiry tribunal by witnesses and experts) the Nishtar Park bombing in Karachi which killed 47 people.
Clearly, what these makeshift channels are spouting is nothing more than hates speech. The channels need to be shut down and those behind them arrested. The government needs to clamp down on such activity with an iron hand but there seem to be some problems. First, FATA does not come under PEMRA’s operational jurisdiction and this needs to be amended to allow the regulatory body to extend its operation to the region. Second, in some other parts of NWFP where illegal FM radio stations have spouted — particularly in Dir and Swat — the regulator has been stretched in terms of human resources and detection equipment. So these deficiencies need to be made up as well.
The other problem is that many of the FM stations are purely makeshift operations, and extend not more than a few dozen kilometers and hence are difficult to detect. In addition to this, the cost of buying equipment to run such a small outfit is not much and this is another reason for their proliferation. But the importance of a more aggressive approach by the government cannot be overemphasized because these radio channels are lending themselves to proliferating not only extreme sectarian and bigoted views they are also fostering Talibanisation of the areas under their listening domain.
Take the case of the banned Tehrik Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi, which has re-emerged in Malakand Agency thanks to the apparently growing popularity of a maulana associated with it. The gentleman under question has reportedly told his female listeners that their marriage stands null and void if they do not tell their husbands to grow beards. The irony, or perhaps one should call it tragedy, of all this is that these areas have very high rates of illiteracy (and now ignorance) and what the people who live there need is not such hogwash but education. Besides, if the government allows this to carry on we could well have another issue of image on our hands.
Source: The News
Date:8/20/2006
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