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Most Indians who want to know what’s happening in Pakistan and what Pakistanis are saying about India intuitively visit the Dawn website. We come here to consume secular, progressive and balanced opinions on Pak and Indo-Pak issues. In comparison, few Indians have heard about a veteran Pakistani journalist called Najam Sethi. Pity! I say that because it’s time Indians wonder why we don’t have an equivalent of Najam Sethi in our electronic media.
In case you haven’t heard about him, let me begin by telling you that Sethi has been imprisoned thrice by different Pakistani regimes. First, by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto (for protesting against military action in Balochistan), then by General Zia ul Haq (for publishing a book by a former Chief Justice of the SC, Justice Mohammad Munir, in which he lamented his role in legitimizing the first martial government in Pakistan in 1958), and most recently, by the Nawaz Sharif government (on charges of treason).
Over the years, his critics have conferred many unflattering labels on Sethi. In the 70s or thereabouts, he was a “Russian agent” because he felt that Pakistan’s alliance with America was not in its best interests. Later, he was termed an “Indian agent” because he wanted peace with India and vociferously declared that India posed no security threat to Pakistan. In recent times, his views have made him an “American agent.”
A couple of years ago, Najam Sethi began appearing in a weekly dial-in Live television show in which all kinds of thorny issues are discussed. Which meant that, instead of writing for the English-speaking elite, he was now speaking in Urdu to millions of Pakistani citizens and expats. And what was he telling them?
Things, one would have thought, they did not want to hear, such as:
• The desire of the Balochis to secede from Pakistan; this one-hour program spoke about the usual problems thrust on regions experiencing insurgencies – like the unconstitutional means employed by the army, the connivance of the local elite with the army and the stark poverty of the local populace.
• The sheer dependence of Pakistan on American aid, without which Pakistanis will “eat grass” (ghaas khayenge).
• The reasons why the world romances with India, and not with Pakistan.
• The reasons why Kashmir will never become a part of Pakistan and how even the Pakistani establishment accepts this inevitability inside closed doors.
• The threat posed to Pakistan by the fundamentalists.
Sethi delivers these anti-populist opinions using his signature in-your-face style and backs them with indisputable facts or, in the very least, a lucid perspective. And somehow, he manages to combine the hawk’s mannerisms with the dove’s mission.
Some might be inclined to call Sethi outspoken, belligerent and opinionated. Incidentally, the same description fits most of the TV media mascots in India. But what distinguishes Sethi from our mascots is the simple fact that he doesn’t have lines that cannot be crossed.
He’s a patriot who is willing to attack nationalism when required, a secularist who will illuminate the transgressions made by secularists, and a pacifist who will support internal and external military agencies whenever he feels that they have a case.
The equivalent TV media personality in India would talk about human rights excesses in Kashmir, Nagaland, Mizoram et al without conjunctions, rejoinders or excuses. He or she will address the Naxalite issue without wanting to mention the law-and-order aspect every fifteen seconds. In short, he or she will not toe the government’s line just because it’s “nationalistic” to do so. His or her mission will be to ruffle our feathers and make us rethink our established outlooks on issues that matter. But in reality, such anti-populist stances are adopted only by our alternate media – publications such as the Economic and Political Weekly and (frequently enough) Tehelka – or personalities on the fringe such as Arundhati Roy.
Sethi is able to cover much ground in his show because of its format. He consumes most of the airtime while the anchor challenges his harsh verdicts with mainstream opinions.
Can we not emulate this format in India? If the argument is that our media mascots cannot take rigid stances, then my counterargument is that they already do. They’ve already made up their minds on all the topics being discussed. And by asking questions that take two minutes to deliver and demanding responses within thirty seconds, they end up dominating the conversation anyway. So maybe they could adopt Sethi’s format for one of their talk shows and grab the mike, as it were.
Personally, I’d love to watch a Sethi-like show featuring distinguished print journalists – the likes of MJ Akbar or P Sainath – who will voice nonconformist, anti-populist views to the mainstream. Surely the average Indian citizen is capable enough of receiving and assimilating disturbing information, no matter what form it takes?
At the moment, Pakistan is blessed with many stoic anti-populist voices such as Najam Sethi – people who, despite risk to life and limb, speak their mind and strive to restore normalcy in their country. Their presence makes me wonder whether Pakistan currently has a more evolved media.
Eshwar Sundaresan is a Bangalore-based writer, freelance journalist, ideator and entrepreneur. His works are Googlable.
The views expressed by this blogger and in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.
He has great sense of humor, and that is the element we are missing during miserable state of affairs in Pakistan. I wonder how simple and straight he is when analyzing affairs. Besides Ardsher Cowasji and Ayaz Amir he is my favorite writer and analyst.
Najam Sethi, is a man of reason and honesty and integrity. I have great faith in what he says and wish more journalists would follow his unwavering path instead of flip-flopping according to whatever views their respective channel owners subscribe to.
Many outspoken and honest journalists have been have been eliminated in Pakistan. I am all the time worried about Najam Sethi saheb. May god protect him.
Well its a tough one to evaluate.
My personal view is that NS is good as he does a lot of research and knows the things inside out.
Having said that, I am convinced he highlights only one sided picture and easily ignore the otherside of the story and is therfore heavily biased.
That makes half truths quite dangerous for common man who has not done any research himself and would succumb into Sethi's views.
Najam Sethi sahib tussi great ho. Your show is an eye opener not only for the Pakistanis but for the whole of Southeast Asia. I admire your courage and your analysis should be a wake up call for the political elite of Pakistan.
I am an ardent fan of your show. Keep it up. God bless you and keep you well.
This surely is a voice of reason that is keeping the people informed. I hope that people similar to him join the Pakistani media and start making a difference.
I am very impressed of Mr Najam's popularity, amongst our very credible journalists Mr Sethi remains tall. Don't mind i disagree with him on some opinions but mostly he is impressive, had homework, logic.
He is actually a contemporary Pakistani. He believes that Pakistanis should look at themselves first before they start blaming India and America for their misfortune. It is imperative to understand a man's point before coming to conclusions like he's an American Agent because that sounds like a logical fallacy given his track record of going to jail for something he believed was correct. Pakistan's problem lay within itself rather than exterior forces because if the interior is solid as a rock, then the exterior influences have no effect or affect on any nation. We have bad politicians, the ones who think about themselves before the country. Sethi and I agree one thing, there is an extremist element in the country's Army and intellegence agency and we have to deal with it like our lives depend on it. I only pray to Allah that my country does not lose hope and inshallah may peace and generosity be bestowed upon it. Ameen.
I am almost try to follow him on GEO news. To me Najam Sethi is the man who is right many terms but wrong as well in many ways. It is our dellima that we want a person "perfect" not Sethi as well. What I agree is about Indian relationship to the extent that Talk should be started (though I am not the person having secular views) Issues should be resolved Nawaz Sharrif was doing right in this way….about Army he sometimes right but about US I think Sethi sb "dandee maar jaatey heyn"…About Rymond Davis I totally disagree with him he didnt have full immunity but Sethi sb said he has but he was freed by Agencies in the end…so to me Sethi sb should be watch but we should also be watchful that he shouldnt go here & there as we know his personal faith is also controversial in Pk…
Simply put, Najam is God’s gift to the subcontinent. In that he has his intuitive pulse on what would serve Pakistan’s long term interests, he is the most patriotic Pakistani journalist I know. Of course he is a uniquely gifted analyst who possesses an unmatched blend of content and style. May Godspeed be with Najam Sethi!
By the nature of comments, i guess that Sethi observations and comments are more liked by people outside the country.
I have watching Najam saab on you tube and he shows great insight and excellent analysis, Also one must admit that Pakistani journalist's show great courage and write mostly unbiased articles( saleem shezad is a shining example) , actually the indian media can learn a thing or two from them
Secularism is not a revered trait in a religious society. So praise Najm for that, but he is not representative of what the general public thinks, his sane words are only for the converted.
Why don't we have a Najam Sethi ? Because we are never in a situation like pakistan. That's the true answer. To compensate, We grow Arundhati Ray's in our fields.
While we despise our media..for its crassness and polictical machinations..dawn has been a refreshing read..it helps me balance my perception of pakistanis…it prevents me from succumbing to primal emotions of hatred…it makes me wonder.why doesnt pakistan understand trade with india is a birthright…arent we of the same womb…why beg to USA when we can together become one of the largest amrkets and hubs…The pakistani media in that sense has a more onerous task…of making sure reforms make their way …the zamindari system is routed out and social inequality is lessened in one of the world's most fertile plains..
I have heard Najam Sethi twice on Indian TV channels and he was certainly impressive. But they have many more like NFP, Kamran Shafi, Huma Yusuf etc who write beautifully.
I have been following Mr Najam Sethi on youtube. I agree with every word you say. I also wish if we could also have some thing like aapas ki baat in India.
Wishing all the good luck and god speed to Mr sethi. Carry on sir.
nice to see through this news paper many indian and pakistani people come accross to share their view on a common point. if the person like nazam is serving pakistan, this's thankfully great thing. pakistan needs many more pesonality like him to highlight real problem pakistan is facing. second thing this news paper is acting like a forum where people of both the nation know each other directly. we in india has many more persons like nazam, no doubt that helped india evolved upto this level, but then being one in pakistan like situation is a testimony of great stoism. thank you for your great journalistic service providing to the normal people who otherwise may get an influenced one by the party involved.
I have been very intense follower of pakistani news from pakistani news site from 26/11. I was really hooked by najam sethi in his analysis which common man can understand . Even though I enjoy NFP satire so much as it is in english , Najam saab daily talk is in urdu with english sprinklers ..As I even dont know hindi , urdu was very difficult to grasp and slowly after 2 years i am able to understand most of his points .True I cannot see a match of Najam in Tamil nad or in India …Pakistan keep it up as you have produced gems like najam,NFP,Cyril almedia.
Out of fear most of the other Pakistani journalists speak ambiguously. Najam is amongst the few who speaks clear truth. I hope he remains safe.
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instead of moaning, i want to ask 'eshwar', why not you raise such issues as Najam sethi, & become like him. it's easy to say in India we dn't have journalist like him, but then why cn't you become like him. b'cause it comes with a prize (punishment) & nobody even you want to make sacrifice. its a saying in India (eshwar, you will be knowing this) "we want Ram & krisha to be born, but in neighbor's hose,….not in our's. b'cause we are not brave enough to sacrifice.
Well said buddy.
Well.. call it best or worst, Najam Sethi is a journalist who speaks, it doesn't matter whether he speak from heart or tongue. he is ANTI-EVERYTHING and had worst argument..
Whatever at-least he got some listeners and that's the best feeling a journalist need. Hate him or love him he will be there to SPEAK.
He himself cannot change anything just have words to throw on our brains and that's it.
In my opinion, most of the time Najam Sethi gives an accurate , balance and reasonable views about the matter presented before him. He should be inducted into a think tank that can advises Both the Governments of India and Pakistan. atleast , Government of Pakistan and especially establishment of pakistan should consider his advise.we need more of his likes, God bless him.
I dont think pakistani media is any better than an indian. They try to take easier topic where they can put bold question, have you ever heard them questioning the Army which is running the whole country on there terms. I will say not all Pakistani channels are good but surely Dawn and sometimes NDTV is good as they restrict themselves to showing the facts rather then giving there judgement like IBN, Star and GEO, AAJ in PAk.
@Prashant, Your comments shows you have never watched Najem Sethi or Nadeem F Paracha, Kamran Shafi et all. They take all issues head on including questioning the Army where they should.
@prashant: NDTV? LOL!! their inhouse experts are priyanka chopra and shrukh khan. After Mumbai all that they aired was Dia mirza crying. I dont think they have any news-let alone analysis. If you do read a few articles you will understand that there are more sane(and insane ofcourse)voices in pak media than indias.
yes Bilal Khan U r right. I am against of terrorism but not against with Pakistan. I Love to see Nazam Sethi Program. I found that he is a neutral person and a great guy. Prashant is wrong completely wrong
Hi Prashant, i would suggest you just go on youtube and have couple of them watched. The way he presents and say is i bet you'll end up searching his all possible video casts on net. flamboyant & ecstatic. Fantastic man he is. I follow his opinions.
I agree that Najam Setthi truly deserve good words because he speaks well and substiate his reasoning
with solid facts. Good luck Sethi Sahib.
Mr. Sethi is doing a great servie to the mankind by calling a spade a spade in face of ante democratic forces
What we are missing in Indiian media is analysis.
Sethi Sahib analyses and simplifies it fro the common man.
In India 99% news channels sensationalise and sensationalise an event ,report a few facts and then move to next event to repeat the same in the name of news.
good analysis is missing form most popular american news channels as well.
wait till the Pakistani media becomes more cpitalistic and the same will happen there as well. there is tooo much miney to be made from TRP rtaings.
most news channels start out good and then become variety show channels.
also must commend Islamabad tonite and Hasb e haal.
LOL I am amazed at the thinking of the people who take Najam Sethi as "Best" , He is perfect "Waste of Time" and has nothing new in his view , His only selling power is "Talk Against Pakistan" coz no one can go to extra mile like him. because there is always a limit in journalism , he never follow any. and is totally totally crap,,,
I second the limit in journalism part, I think he does not understand the difference between print and Television journalism, he should know his audience
Wow can it get any better than this ? What a Balanced Writing Keepit up Pakistani Brother.
Regards,
Muthu.
Chennai.
India.
Well based on his thoughts and analysis < I thought he is an indian;)
Being an Indian, I used to google to know more about Pakistan and very much curious to know about Pakistani despite of our very bad relationship in the past. So, I do not surprise to get a lot of anti statements in the internet. But, when I watched few videos of Najam Sethi in youtube, I was totally surprised by his very realistic approach. Yes, people can say that he is an anti-Pakistan or pro-India, but if you listen him carefully, you can definitely find the difference. He is not anti-Pakistani or anti-India. His approach is very much realistic and is very much focused to the root cause of the problem. He certainly changed my point of view towards Pakistan. My best wished to Najam Sethi.
najam is the best journlist in south asia
We also need someonelike pervez hoodbhoy
I am proud of Najam Sethi and worry about his safety.
It's wonderful to see so many enlightened Indians reading DAWN, sharing their candid thoughts and comments. This newspaper was founded by our beloved Quaid, upholding his great ideals of honesty, fairness and respect for all. Yes, we have gems like Najam Sethi, Kamran Khan, Cowasjee among others, who represent the very best here, or in India. The silent majority must stand up against the corrupt politicians, who continue to exploit the masses both in Pakistan and to a lesser extent in India.
LOL Yawar,
India is as corrupt if not more corrupt than pakistan, how we manage to survive in this "democracy" is a discussion for another day.
The pie is bigger so things dont look as bad as they do in Pak but trust me all Indian politicial is Mr 10% at best & Mr 90% at worst
Dear Yanwar..i bet you it's not the people who would not like to share and be good neighbours.it's the governments..and i have lots of friends from Pakistan and we share a lot of issues with out disrespecting each others.. i think common man should rise fearlessly against governments on the threat hypes posed by each government..
Najam Sethi is the best without doubt. I eagerly look forward to his show on Geo TV on tube. I really miss an equivalent of him in Indian electronic media. He is unbiased, to the point and not afraid of telling the truth. He and his co anchor have very honest and endearing style. After listening to him one wonders that such sensible journalist cum thinkers are still available in a terror ravaged country like Pakistan. I salute him.
a needed tribute, welldone eshwar
He is the only media anchor in Pakistan who talks sense. He is totally neutral, his arguments filled with facts. I eagerly wait his programs and articles.
Najam Sethi is indeed a very good journalist.
May I invite our indian friends to read NFP (Nadeem Farooq Paracha) as to many Pakistanis, he remains the super star …
Awaiting your comments
Please spare us. NFP a super star ! probably legend in his own mind. To me NFP is an unofficial spokesman of PPP & MQM.
Mr. Goga,
Greetings from across the border!
You are absolutely right about Nadeemji. He is as fearless when it comes to speaking his mind. It is refreshing to read his analysis as well as his satires.
I wonder if you follow him on Twitter? If not, you should. He is at his best wittiness on Twitter
- Nate Gupta
I really like NFP too. His limitation is that he reaches a very limited audience because he primarily communicates through print media (many Pakistanis are illiterate) and in English (many Pakistanis do not speak English). Najam Sethi n the other hand is more accessible to the comon man since he communicates through electronic media and in Urdu.
Sethi lost credibility as a journalist when he imposed a paid subscription as the editor of The Friday Times. Personally, I don't find his reporting balanced at all.
I do follow his show. He is very knowledgeable. I wish Indian journalists should take lessons from him.
I am from India and watch most of his videos on youtube. I was just amazed by his journalism skills. he and should be awarded for his work by india and pakistan. I will like to see him sharing views with indian journalist.
Whenever there is a major incident and the media goes wild, I tune in to Najam Sethi's show on TV to learn news as close to facts as possible. He is fearless and tries not to take sides. He is a breath of fresh air in the arena of knee jerk media responses.
I love Najim Sethi, it's is pity that India lacks a person of similar caliber. Some people might compare Arundathi Roy with him but that's absurd because she has her own agenda and is not apolitical. A journalist must justify his/her observation based on facts and not from the heart. Only Sethi fits the picture and perhaps also Talat, keep up the good work guys……
As an Indian, I must confess Pakistan has a much more evolved media. It is a pleasure to hear Najam Sethi on Indian Television whenever he is here. His eloquence, equanimity and fair thoughts are a pleasure to hear. Apart from Najam Sethi, I also find the views of General Talat Masood very fair.
When I browse through Dawn, I am amazed with the wonder language that the paper and its bloggers write. The Pakistani blogging community is much more saner and has a broader thought process, all comments are fair and free of vitriol. Alas a very nice and broad minded people caught in the garb of a philosophy which is alien to them.
I would be happy if Dawn TV could be available in Indian homes.
I do feel, many Indian bloggers show very bad language / vision, while Pakistani bloogers go very-2 bad. When it comes to Dawn bloggers, they are really the best in South Asia.
i totally reject the point of view that Sethi do lot of research. Let me quote you example of Abbotabad Case when Americans apparently killed Osama and Sethi initially informed from some inside "reliable sources" that this operation was carried with the join efforts of Pak and USA military forces but the very next day he took a turn of 180 degree and sketched the whole operation as he was live witness. Like other many journalist he is also a person who try to enforce their own opinions by all means.
i ,m very glad to read good wishes of many indians.please accept our best wishes for you.n your country. i really apreciate writers efforts.i personally was not aware who is sethi. but i watchd his show on usa. s raid of abboatabad. i really got logik. in his talks n satisfied. too bcoz he v acurately figure out , all drama. after reading that all comments feel proud.atleast pak have learned thinkers . which seem our future bright. inshsallah
insALLAH
Najam Sethi stands out tall among the crowds. It is amazing that in spite of seroius problems affecting Pakistan including violence and even murder against right thinking journalists, this country has produced such gems of courageous intellectuals like Sethi and Shazad. There is still hope amidst despair.
Seems like Najam is making too many Indians happy!
Sethi is good but I rate Cowasjee relatively much higher than anybody here.
Your last words "Their presence makes me wonder whether Pakistan currently has a more evolved media." seems more realistic to me. There are many who swam against the tide and paid a heavy price in Pakistan. Yet they continue their journey to seek truth irrespective of the hurdles ahead. It is always easy to go with the wind arousing public passion, at times misguiding and giving the readers what they wish to hear. By reporting fair DAWN has got more fans in India. If there is somebody from Pakistan who would minimize the trust deficit and get people closer it most definitely be these journalists.
What a complete waste of time. Sethi views and analysis is his desires and wishes rather than truth.
He is on my IGNORE list.
Mr Tariq:
You are free to ignore what you choose to, but it's your loss only. His wisdom is so great, Iam just spellbound listening to him. It would help, if people get over the denial phase…
I wish and pray for a long life to respected Mr Sethi
Listen to me…I am from India.
I am shouting..He's best in south asia.
First of all Indian electronic Media is a sham. Consider NDTV or CNN-IBN and one can clearly see where their loyalties are. How much truth can you expect when the owner, editor, ceo and anchor are the one and same man? The recent Barkha Dutt incident is another point in case.
Now coming back to Najam Sethi. In my opinion he is the best journalist is South Asia without an iota of doubt. I have followed his programmes first on Duniya and now on Geo and I have to admit not only that his shows present the true picture but are also the most researched ones.
whenever I want an unbiased opinion on any matter relating to Pakistan.I watch or read Najam Sethi.He is the best.
Sethi is an articulated person with almost balanced analysis.However,sometimes he appears to be a devil's advocate!
I salute your blog that the journalists like you can bring up a change in the country dependent journalisism. At the time of performaing the profession a journalist must be unbiased, which is not the case of indo-pak journalism, we can see such type of journalism rearly in western countries. But I think such journalist like you can bring up a change.
Wow sucha support from India?… makes me wonder….HmmmMMmm…
I have been an admirer of Najam Sethi since long. he is a very impartial and balanced analyst. His programme is very informative and based on facts. He is an asset to Pakistani journalism. I wish he could do a programme on Baluchistan's recent happenings.
Nazam Sethi is a well known figure in India. It is a sheer treat to listen to him. A person of rare combination of courage and wit, God may grant him long life.
He is perhaps the only balanced anchor that pakistan electronic media has I am sure Talat Hussain is to follow. Love you both.
I follow Najam regularly in You tube(I am from India). I found him to be very sensible and honest in most of the cases. He presents his views in a light hearted manner and incorporates many jokes and funny comments in between .But his opinion on the Raymond Davis case was too hard to swallow. He said from the outset that Raymond davies must be released because it is in the best interests for Pakistan . Nowhere did he condemn the illegal activities of the American government . According to him there is nothing called morality and justice ,only self interests.He then opines in one show that America is sold out to the Indian lobby in Washington and Pakistan should try get closer to China with maximum effort .
Hello everyone,
Its nice to see so many fellow Indians go through Dawn and felt very happy about the positive comments. I think people of both the countries should press their respective governments harder to resolve the outstanding issues between the 2 countries
Najam Sethi and Dawn must be complimented for their forthright and independent reporting. Pakistan could get rid off its many ills, if only the political masters and bureaucratic of that country could share the wisdom being shown by Dawn and its journalist.
Truth is always bitter to digest. We as a nation has always on true issues adopted an ostrictch attitude.Najam has always been with his own brand of reason tried to shake us awake,which i feel on most occasions made sence and blended with logic. An excellent article and the writer is an intelligent and analytical person who has a balanced approach towards all the issues…..congrats.
I hope truth,reasoning,tolerance and sanity prevails. God bless you both.
always a pleasure to listen to Najam Sethi
Just one concern… Najam Sb. is pro PPP
Mr Sethi is an honest person in a dishonest country. Pity
Najam Sethi, Cowasjee and Nadeem Paracha. Straight views, clear ideas, have reasons, don't bother about people's response: truth is truth.
Could'nt agree morewith the writer. Najam Sethi is the best in the entire sub-continent.
Bhat
humility,smile,depth and boldness aresome of the hallmarks.I first read about him in NEWS WEEK in 1999 when then pm nawas put him jail.
but alas suffering keep iccreasing.
i think he is best in pakistani journlism cumunity. very trustworthy ,i watch his aapas ki baat all the time
Well I am a Indian living in US, and I have lots of pakistani friends, and somehow I am kinda of obsessed with Pakistan and I do watch Mr Sethi's show through ZEMTV.COM and all I can say is that, he is right on spot.
Najam Sethi's political observation and foresight, his style of expression, nonjudgemental view are matchless, we Pakistanis are lucky to have such intellectuals, best wishes to him
Najam is the only person in our media who is working for Pakistan and not for his own interest.
Towing the populist Indian line will get get one praise from India.
I have great regard for Najam Sethi saheb, I watch his each and every show. Mostly his analysis is fair ,,approach is bold,but I am sorry sometimes his bird gives him some tilted information.
Hats Off to Najam Sethi, he is surely an asset and we must give him the full honour.
Brilliant piece,he is indeed the best we have got…RESPECT
I am a great admirer of Najam Sethi. I pray he avoids the fate of another brave and patriotic son of Pakistan, Saleem Shahzad.
Najam Sethi is really a breath of fresh air in an era when the media is dominated by more of showmanship than anything else. Credit must also be given to his presentation skills and the appealing manner in which he puts forth his ideas. I like to listen him out even is he is critical of India.
I just cannot stand the Indian talkshows.
sethi is the best analyst ofall
Mr. Najam Sethi is one of the very few most wise and honest persons in Pakistan. Though I am not a Pakistani, I respect him a lot. People like him should be in the polity.
truth is always hard to gulp down. Mr Najam seems a revolution who is waking the people of pak who are in deep sleep and illusion.world remembers such brave fighters for truth and peace.
Thnx to dawn news for having supreme courage to post true "FACTS"
Mr Sethi is a brave journalist and has good analytical skills
very impressive yet very balanced person i came across
You should check out Newshour everyday at 10:00pm on TimesNow by Arnab Goswami. He is very aggressive and most debates are on touchy subject.
Yes I agree Najam Sethi is fair most of the time. I like his analysis
Five jewels of Pakistani journalism:
1. Late Syed Saleem Shahzad
2. Najam Sethi
3. Marvi Sirmed
4. Nadeem F Paracha
5. Rafia Zakaria
Najam ji, come over to India. And bring Nadeem Paracha and Abdus Sattar Edhi along.
His style of talking, gesturing and analysis of political matters led many commedy shows to immitate him. Some of those videos are by four man show and are great pieces of creaitvity; they are on youtube. I like the neutrality he carries with his opinions.
I have been watching his videos on youtube. I am impressed by his unique and strong unbiased views on core topics.
Najam Sethi: Its pleasure listening you every time you are on air.
Indians have come out of woodwork in praise of Mr. Najam. And this is only till, he starts writing about reality of India and then I will see how the tunes cahnge from across the border.
Exactly!
Najam Sethi is a national treasure for Pakistan. A another such person is N. Parischa. I think unusual times create unusual challenges. The necessity creates unique people to rise to the occasion. People like these provide the glimmer of hope in the sea of chaos.
For balanced and to the point reporting, particularly on controversial issues, I rely upon Dawn — Indian electronic media is simply too dramatic! Yes, on Indian TV there are a handful of open forum type programs that delve into complex and dangerous subjects, which I laud. And finally, it is a joy to read sane and healthy exchange of ideas and opinions between Indians and Pakistanis here. Ultimately, it is such mutual exchanges that will transform Pakistan and improve unnecessarily unhealthy relationship between the two societies. We have suffered much too much – physically and emotionally. I hope the younger generations see wisdom in stopping this madness.
MaheshButt sahab; you yourself is a very balanced and mature person you have no bias. I have noticed this in various occasions where you spoke of Pakistan. Its always great feeling when we see an unbiased person speak either from here or there. Keep it up.
Najam Sethi stands tall for various reasons. practical, down to earth and very mature. Unfortunately he is a voice in the wilderness which will be lost in the cacophony of extremism and intolerance that is slowly but surely getting to the fabric of Pakistan. Lets hope that our children live in peace.
NAJAM SETHI is the best.. i never miss his show..
Sir Najam Sethi, Let me describe this man by saying.. "A Great Power Comes With A Great Responsibility", I am one of his admirer among thousands if not millions, I may can write a book on him, his vision, his courage, bravery despite all odds & risks of his Job in his country which recently seen the price for telling or writing truth in Pakistan..
I have watched several interviews of Mr. Sethi on youtube. I consider him the best independent, unbiased and wonderful journalist Pakistan has ever produced.
I have read most of the above comments. I am too a fan of Mr . Najam Sethi, though I do not know much about him. I very eagerly await arrival of THE MAIL TODAY (a daily by the Hindustan Times) on every Friday and the first page I open is the LAHORE LOG edited and written by Mr. Najam Sethi. He appear to be very balanced, very neutral and very nationalistic. He has the good of his country paramount in his heart. May Allah bless him with long life.
It actually feels great to read this encomium coming from an Indian writer when mostly abhorrence is the major sentiment that Indians seem to have for us. I wish we could appreciate and encourage all positive efforts that are being made on either side of the border rather than engaging in passionate criticism.
Indian electronic media could have a journalist like Najam Sethi if only it would get out of Bollywood mode. On Indian Networks, gossips about the romantic lives of Bollywood stars take center stage. Then of course, you have inimitable Khushwant Singh, we don't have one like him.
Yes, very true, – Mr. Khushwant Singh one of his kind, man of wit & charm.
We have number of courageous journalist in Pakistan and Mr. Najam Sethi is one of them.
I would like to see more articles in recognition of the intellectual honesty shown by Najam Sethi. Politics divides India and Pakistan but it is refreshing to see pacifists, on both the sides, joining hands and waiting for the days when there would be harmonious interactions between us.
I always considered Najam as one of the best among Pakistan's journalists. Also enjoyed his TV programs. One of the striking point is his grasp of the history and the identification of the root cause of some of the issues prevailing in South Asia particularly in Pakistan .
I agree there is not much analysts to lookup to in Indian television these days for fearless and sharp analytical thinking. These days it’s all about 'breaking news', Bollywood and cricket targeting urban population(mainly in Delhi and Mumbai) .
However I could see couple of likes (though not as experienced as Najam) in my regional channels (Malayalam) who are not afraid of asking hard questions. Some of the programs bring out the social and rural issues very effectively in public domain to make a difference.
having worked as a reporter in TFT way back in Sep 90 to Apr 91; i can vouch the fact that he has a mind of his own; he can gauge the flow of events and decide/ forecast; above all he is original!!!
Mr Sethi is a great man. I have watched him so often and unfailing regularity. I really used to wonder that why this man has no fear for his life when he speaks against so many issues which may not gel with the authorities. I really respect this man and if ever i go to Pakistan i would pay him a visit or if he comes to india i shall meet him or call him over for meal/tea. I also admire Sir Zaid Hameed. i really wonder as to what world is he living in. most surprising thing is that there are people ready to hear him out.
regarding india having equivalent of Mr Sethi, I would say that india is as such a very open society. I can stand at middle of a busy market place and say so called bad things about my Govt, religion(Hinduism) or country and no body will kill me for that or no body will socially boycott me. It would be taken as just another opinion. Many of u would not know that the maximum no of people fighting for justice for Gujrat riots are HINDUS AND NOT MUSLIMS. we are not fanatics and we see logic and reason, my be 5% are bad elements but then it is 95% vs 5%, in comparison in Pakistan the ratio may be same but in other direction i.e 5% are like Mr Sethi or Mr Saleem.
regards
Poor Najam. The glowing tribute by Indian friends will be matched with indigenous suspicion. How come an Indian audience praises a Pakistani national. This Indian praise is sufficient enough to challenge the patriotic credentials of Najam.
My thoughts exactly, Mr. Usman. It does not take much to be labeled an Indian or Hindu agent in Pakistan. A Dawn writer that I follow avidly is Mr. Nadeem F. Paracha and I have often wondered how has been able to get away with his style of writing!
Long live free thinkers! Long live free press!
- Nate Gupta
An old Urdu proverb "CHIRAAGH TALAY UNDHARA" means a lamp lightens the surrounding but under there is always darkness"
Very well said. Najam sb. truly is a great journalist and he presents every topic with full facts. We indeed need people like him who are neutral and do not have any sort of personal interests.
And its really good that he is now part of Urdu media so that he can address the majority.
nAJam is A GREat journalist , i wATCH HIS SHOW and reAD HIM REGULarly,WISH PakistAN and indiA Have more people like him, not like zAHID OR Bal thAKREY WHO Have no ideA OF REality.
we should hate hate-preachers on both sides. it is good to see that people on both sides dislike zaid hamid n bal thakary. actually such people serve their own interests by befooling d masses.
Best is Zaid Hamid..good actor and really funny ….
Agreed, he is a great comedian.
I'm afraid I'm not a fan of the sort of depressing antics he displays to be honest or the fact that some of the indigenous folks revere him so much
Najam Sethi is one of the sanest voices in Pakistan. India has different problems in comparison to Pakistan. While Pakistan faces an existential threat, India is facing rampant corruption, rising inflation, poverty, illiteracy etc, which are more of socio-economic issues than anything else. Hence you will have social activitism in india and not Journalistic activism which needs a continuous feeding to sustain itself. A najam sethi would not be able to find an issue to discuss everyday in India. Hence there are no Najam Sethis in India. Also Najam Sethi stands out because there are very few peddlars of truth in Pakistan. I would also like to offer my condolences on the death of shahzad saleem who in my eyes is a true hero.
Excellent perspective.However, the people of Pakistan should rise up to the threat to their country's existence and support a movement for strong civilian government institutions and the judiciary.The military should be concentrating only in the country's external security matters, leaving internal security to a strong incorrigible police force.
he is honest, clear, patriot and most importantly a visionary which pak politicians lack.
His deep analysis on all issues is witness to his character. I hardly afford to miss his analysis/program Apas ki Baat on Geo at 20.00 hr, CET. Being an Indian, I envy him. Wish him Good health and long life.
he is simply the great-very intelligent and not biased at all-i must say he is among the elite group of journalist in the recent history-its a treat to listen to him
Najam Sethi and his wife Jugnoo are a credit to Journalism. They practice their art as it is meant to be. Sometimes truth hurts and those who are not willing to listen to it , will label people like Najam as agents of someone or some country. Tomorrow if Najam was to find something favorable to say about the Taliban he could well be labelled as a member of Al Quida. I wish the Sethi's continuous energy to continue the good work. His motto " Tell the Truth."
I watch Najam Sethi’s programs on the youtube regularly ….he is not pro-India or pro- America .. ..he is simply patriotic Pakistani or can be called as pro-Pakistani in rational manner
Our Indian media in general & electronic median in particular are more concerned about Indian urban class & Delhi politics …there are many shows aired daily ..which has nothing to do with Indian middle class & rural India…I will just mention some of the show ..like night out ..(in India how many % of does this?? hardly less that 1%)…..another show talks about mobile phone & various car launched ..do these shows really required??? . How these shows are going to help vast majority of Indian people ??
there are some reporter like P Sainath (Rural affairs editor of the Hindu)..who brings real issue through print media ….this picture may not be rosy however this is hard realty …. however in Indian electronic no body puts of this image of India…. I hope if we have people like Najam sethi
Najam Sethis is a wonderful person and a real asset of Pakistan, I wish him all the best.
Najam Sethi Sir is one of the finest and fearless journalist I've ever come across. Pakistan should be proud of having such kind of personality with them. Najam Sethi, Hoddbhoy and Hasan Nisar are the jewels of Pakistani media. May god bless them.
Najam is great – I wish Pak leaders would consult him on issues tackling the country – making Pak a peaceful and progressive state. Najam speaks on issues that are basically commonsense. India does not have Najam as it does not require one – the civil society is quite active in India (fast by Anna Hazare rattled Govt) , issues are taken up in Parliament – which is supreme- unlike Pak. I wish Najam all Good Luck.
Najam Sethi´s talkshow is surely one of the best shows currently being aired from Pakistan. Najam Sethi´s experience and maturity keep the show firmly balanced on the objectivety scales.
It is not like that India does not have people who do not speak/write against the popular narrative. Among The Hindu staff itself there are some brilliant writers such as Vardharajan, N Ram, Sianath (in-your-face-reality stuff). I had the opportunity of listening to P Sainath in person sometime back and it was a very good talk on farmers' plight in India.
I personally believe that journalists/writers DO have freedom of speech and by no means there are under pressure from government but it is true that most of them do not ignite common man's fancy! Moreover India has plethora of mainstream parties whose agendas vary from Marxist to Maoists, neo-liberals-leftist to right-wing-nationalists. Hence voices of every hue get a platform. IF leftists are invariably against capitalism (and by extension Western world), likes of Arundhati are perceptually against armed forces' action against anyone even against armed-violence of Naxalists or millitants in Kashmir. Even pro-Pakistani secessionist Gilani get a platform to speak in the heart of New Delhi. That says plenty about India's tolerance as far as freedom of speech is concerned!
The biggest challenge to Indian media's credibility is them being in the bed with the political parties. It is in common knowledge that many channels are pro-xyz party and anti-abc party. In southern India, it is even worse as political parties have their own private channels (with huge viewership).
Najam Sethi is one of the best analyst in the electronic and print media. I dont agree with those people who thinks that najam sethi is pro america, pro india. He is pro pakistani and his analysis is based on emotions instead of facts.
Najam Sethi is one of the best analyst in the electronic and print media. I dont agree with those people who thinks that najam sethi is pro america, pro india. He is pro pakistani and his analysis is based on facts instead of emotions.
Well corrected!
am sorry to disagree with you Atif. I also listen to Mr. Sethi frequently and his talk is very interesting, but full of conspiracy theories. In Pakistan, no body knows facts. The Govt. des not know what the army is doing and the army does not know what the Judiciary is doing. Every body is doing things independent of each other. Pakistan has become a big mess and does not fit the definition of a Nation. It is the most fragmented society after Somalia, and Afghanistan. But I do give credit to Mr. Sethi to do the best in this envoirnment.
I am also sorry to disagree with you Mohan. You should know the difference between conspiracy theories and analysis based on facts. And you need to correct your information as well. Pakistan is not a mess. We know that we are in trouble and we are facing these problem like a nation and will overcome these problems with the help of our govt , judiciary and Army. As as far electronic media is concerned i dont see people like najam sethi, nusrat javaid, naseem zehra
in Asia whose analysis is very rational and based on facts. Cheers.
Mohan, I need to tell you that you must correct your stance on Mr. Sethi. He tells the bitter facts based on great experience and analysis. I watch his show very regularly. I would also like to cmpliment the Pakistani electronic media who has the "guts" to take on the politicians and the military establishment. The Indian media is utterly docile, politicised, and have no concern about the real facts. The commercialisation of News and talk shows in India has added cosmetic value and loud mothed anchors screaming at the"sellable" news. Please revist "Rajdeep Sardesai's shows after 26/11). I have a great regard for the Pakistani electronic media whi despite such a vulnerable position (keep in mind what can actually happen to you in Pakistan when you speak the truth) are able to highlight the short comings. Mr. Sethi is a top class media anchor and reporter.
Stunning response from a fellow Indian.
In addition to Najam Sethi there are people like Hasan Nissar, Alam,HoodBoy who can dare speak agaist the policies of Pakistan.But In India We don't have people like them. being journalist in India is a Luxury but a highly risky job in Pakistan. Hope to Indian Journalists like Najam Sethi,Hassan Nissar ,Alam,Hoodboy and the recently killled journalist .
No doubt, Najam sethi indeed have a very realistic approach in every aspect of journalism, and have clear view, but I also like Hasan Nisar another very straight and clean columnist have a all round view over Society.
Good to hear about this journalist,he reminds me of N.Ram of 'The Hindu'…Fearless,honest and most important,no sensationalism…
The problem now in Indian media is sensationalism…Every news channel sensationalise issues in order to get more TRPs…
Some issues are Arushi murder,narendra modi,rahul gandhi,naxal,kashmir and of course bollywood and cricket…
The worst psycophant of Indian media is Barkha Dutt,who always dispel disinformation among indians and create more rift between d minorities from the core of India…
Even the normally neutral Rajdeep Sardesai wont lift a finger when he refers to anyone from the Gandhi family…Infact,the Gandhi Family are like monarchs in India…Their successes are blown out of proportion and their criticisms and failures are totally supressed by the mainstream media…which makes me feel whether India has become a banana republic…
It is absolutely privilege to me to apprise you about the era that is this when any of the social members does some wrong deeds despite knowing this; it will be called repulsive but having the bad speculations it keeps on doing bad acts…writers are the entities who can revolutionize the world if they really write whatever is truth…!
"Surely the average Indian citizen is capable enough of receiving and assimilating disturbing information, no matter what form it takes?" … Unfortunately, No! Take it from an Indian who constantly questions the official line. No! My countrymen are no less succeptible to propoganda or more amenable to non-confirmism than Pakistanis are. After all "dono ek hi khet ki muli hain". Indians are punch-drunk on the "booming economy" and forget the ills that are eating away at the country. The growing Maosit threat. They confuse an absence of violence in Kashmir as Peace, forgetting that beneath the surface, the resentment remains unaddressed waiting to explode like it did in 2010. Patriotism is the new flavour, helped in no small part by the constant Indo-Pak belligerence. in the eyes of the armchair patriot, Manmohan Singh is a wimp for not "taking on Pakistan". Nobody wants to consider the practical consequences of "taking on Pakistan". A few journalists do question the system and look for alternatives but are derided as Pakistani agents or what not.
I watch Najam Sethi's programs on the net regularly, and also have read his columns in Friday Times. Sethi is an excellent journalist, a scholar and a living encyclopaedia of information and knowledge, especially of the contemporary socio-political history of India & Pakistan. He is not Pro-India, of course he advocates peace with India in a pragmatic manner because he is convinced of the rich dividends that Pakistan will get. Sethi is a patriot, but he does not mince any words to Pakistani politicians, political class, parties and the establishment with courage, candor and conviction. I wish we had someone like him in India. People like Rajdeep, Prannoy, Akbar etc. are too ill informed, they don't have the historical perspective, and neither the candor & conviction of Najam Sethi, who is not a cynic nor a skeptic despite being critical. His analysis of events, as well as his foresight and vision are phenomenal.
Despite having been jailed by Nawaz Shareef, he doesn't mind supporting Shareef bros whenever they say or do something right. Najam Sethis is a wonderful person and a real asset of Pakistan, I wish him all the best.
There's a very good reason, why many in India are not aware of Sethi. We don't have access to Pakistani electronic media. It's as simple as that.
In fact I learnt about his eminence only a few weeks ago.
It shows the broad heart of Pakistanis, here we see Indian channels openly where as in India Pakistani media is banned, clear difference, even India presenting her as a largest democracy of the world.
Do not echo Afridi's voice. India has so many channel to watch. Watch Times Now at 9 (IST) we will find many luminary’s view. I have the opportunity to hear Najam Sethi in one such program. He was not that impressive and admitted .
Please reply me that, is Pakistani media not banned in India?
You are right Pakistani media is banned in India…But so is Indian media in Pakistan ..its just that the laws and regulations from Pakistani TV channels are not followed.
Its the other way round in India.
Its not about large heartedness but because Pakistani love to watch India TV Shows/Film Stars/News
…bcz they do not find quality in Pakistani channels….
Its more bcz of being out of choice than being anything else.
Narayana, it is not true. If you are really interested in knowing Pakistan and what tics it then there is much more material is available in the electronic media these days. However, we did not know anything about Pakistan about 10 years ago because there was no freedom of press. We give credit to Parvez Musharraf in this regard.
We saw here Mr. Eshwar Sundaresan's valuable and researched comments about a well known personality of Pakistani media, but he did not even mentioned the distinguished figures of Indian media of same mindset!
I personally do not agree with Najam Sethi in most of his views but good to know that someone in India like a Pakistani for whatever reason.
SPOT ON….This is the beauty of Pakistan Media and in partcular Mr Najam Sethi….I would really admit that Pakistan media is more diverse and accepts harsh reality in the media rather than our India Media…
Pakistan media is only 10 years old and still in infancy. Indian media and the country is much more mature. The reason that there is not much criticism of the Govt. long term policies in india is not due to weakness of media, but it is because India is a mature and successful democracy. It is not sruggling like Pakistan has been stuggling.
dont give credit to all Pakistani media. u watch some programs like luqman show or dr.danish show or capital talk these are substandard programmers. Only people like Najem sethi or Hasan nizar's programes are watchable
I am a regular viewer of Najam Sethi's Program.I can say india is lacking an analyst and outspoken parson like Najam saab.
Among Indian channels, I think Tehelka is most fearless about discussing controversial issues. Though the style might be completely different from Najam Sethi…
It must be noted that situation in India is not that bad.
Hope we find our own Najan Sethi however he has ability for a non emotional and reality based analysis while Arundhati Roy is a blind anti- state scholar who doesnot believe in nation states and thus has a definition of democracy and governnence which even highly developed democracies do not support.she has no hold on geopolitics and is like a blind peace bird. that doesn't work in a tough neighbourhood.
The Pakistani English print media that I follow is certainly more evolved than its Indian counterpart.Najam Sethi happens to be one of its many shining stars.And the writer is correct when he says that in India we certainly do not have very many columnists who are willing to question the status quo on key issues concerning the state.Everything inconvenient is sought to be glossed over.This is about the print media in India.As far as the TV media is concerned – let us not even go there.Things are just too depressing!!
I can just hope that our government allows publications like Dawn and The Friday Times to be sold in India so that we know what quality journalism is.
Of course the writer of this blog likes Sethi. more because of the fact that his views are pro-Indian, pro-American and never at all what could be pro-Pakistani. Sethi thrives on counter current flow of views and thus manages to remain afloat in plethora of journalists….he is just making money like the rest of them …just in a smarter way.
You have got it wrong. what the writer is saying that he wants an anti India voice ( I would say one that critices India fairly) in Indian media. We need to improve in many areas and we need to form public opinion in those areas.
Must say that I'm rather disappointed in the way you chose to invalidate the author's argument. While he goes through all that effort of listing what differentiates Najam Sethi from most journalists, you chose to engage in ad hominem instead. Well played indeed sir.
I think Mr. Eswaran laments the fact that we donot have outspoken journalist like Najam Sethi. I think he likes Mr. Sethi because of his fearlessnes & frank views that are in Mr. Sethi's view are beneficial to Pakistan. There is no doubt that Mr. Sethi is absolutely brilliant.
Present day problems of India are different than Pakistan. But during emergency of 1975 we had many journalists who were like Najam Sethi. Today corruption is the biggest issue facing the country. So the issues mentioned by Me. Eswaran, though are real, gets the back seat.
Exactly. India has many Najam Sethi. All the high profile persons likes of Suresh Kalmadi, A Raja, Kanimozi,etc today in Tihar Jail due to the fearless journalism by the Indian Media.
@Naveed, Unfortunately you are like the majority of people in our society who always think in wrong direction … Do you really think he is risking his life just for earning few bucks from those tv channels ? Its not like he will get multi millionaire. The author likes him for being an independent and outspoken analyst. Mr Sethi is more patriotic and pro-Pakistani than you and me.
@ Author, lets not forget other writers like Mr Kamran Shafi & Nadeem Paracha, Ardeshir Cowasjee etc who always dare to talk straight.
I COULD NOT AGREE MORE WITH MR.SUNDARESAN .I WATCH NAJAM SETHI'S TV SHOW REGULARLY AND EVEN FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER AND HAVE REACHED EXACTLY THE SAME CONCLUSIONS AS THE WRITER .HE IS "THE BEST " ,WE HAVE GOT IN SOUTH ASIA .In the day and age of TRP war its difficult to be realist at times ,he as managed to do that .Hats of to him .
As far as our Indian media is concerned , I feel it has become more of a TRP circus .The all powerful media persons are busy lobbying for ministerial berths to their so called " sources " and their clients .
The Last Sane voice in the Paksitani Media. Truly an Enigma, a shining star and a beacon of sanity and hope… All my respects to Mr. NAJAM SETHI.
Well, there you are, see, in general, how tolerant are Paksitanis to 'Anti Populist' views contrary to their Indian counterparts!
true! but not very interesting.
This is the beauty of DAWN. It lets you talk about a guy who sits and works for its rivals. Sethi, at times I believe, exaggerated his point of views. However, his analysis is just spot-on. I hope he becomes the President one day.
Najam Sethi is the best analyst in Pakistan, He has clear views on every issue. He was he first person to call Salman Taseer as Shaheed ( Martyr). It is better to see realistic not pseudo-patriotic personality like Najam Sethi
Najam Sethi is indeed doing a great job.
I always wanted to know who should I read among India journalist or writers. Thanks for providing the information. Please keep writing this blog – an exchange of information is good idea between two neighbours.
Agreed. I've also been wondering lately who to read among Indian journalists and news sites to get a better perspective on things. Reading the Pakistani security establishment's excuses time and time again by our media at large and the inefficient and corrupt politicians just doesn't cut it anymore.
The most neutral analysis among Indian print media is published by thehindu.com , by far I have found it the best news site.
You can also read the Deccan Herald. Nuetral and shreds every political party/group
Well said Eshwar. Both your choices are good, N.Ram would be another good one. Yes, India definitely needs its own Najam Sethi like TV program.
I have an interesting observation. Growing up, I never ever remember any popular program (non news) based on politics. Is it because we never need any expert opinions (who make it sound interesting) since our politics is almost always domestic/regional? Is it because of the number of political/scams/killings/strikes/other events happening, people are overwhelmed with news and nothing specific interests people? (contrary to Pakistani politics, which is limited to few issues, yet complicated, with international involvement, and often needing expert views.) Is it because, the youth which makes a significant spending-capable viewership is not so much interested in politics.
Sethi also won a medal from the government of Pakistan a few years ago, which does add fillip to the fact that Pakistan is a much more free and open country in terms of its media.
I agree with Easwer in the article that most of the Indian talk show hosts have unique views on issues they are debating and actually end up promoting their views through a host of experts in a panel discussion. I would love to have a program like Najam's where their is one major analyst and one anchor debating it out.
That said i am not sure whether the Pakistan as a country is more open in terms of media. In my opinion Najam Sethi is an exception and not an example. Very few journalists are brave enough to follow in his footsteps. More than bravery i believe a certain amount of personal brilliance and thought leadership is required to convey your ideas the way Najam does it. In my opinion vast majority of media in Pakistan, especially urdu media is still about sensational and popular journalism.