A three-minute segment from a recent episode of Kal Tak, a talk show on Express News hosted by Javed Chaudhry, has been making the YouTube rounds. A discussion, if the television equivalent of a bar-room brawl can be termed as such, between the PPP’s Firdous Ashiq and the PML-Q’s Kashmala Tariq ensues, with newly-appointed Nation editor Shireen Mazari playing the role of a bystander. The video is embedded below and is in Urdu but I cannot provide a translation as doing so would possibly violate Newsline‘s guidelines against the use of foul language. Suffice to say one of the epithets Ashiq bandies about is “Heera Mandi”, a somewhat ironic turn of phrase given Ashiq’s involvement in a dancing scandal.

Now, as aficionados of former law minister Wasi Zafar are well aware, it is hardly uncommon for politicians to indulge in behaviour that would lead to their immediate resignation in other countries. Firdous Ashiq is not the first politician to hurl abuse on national television, and given the poisonous role the electronic media has played in lowering the national discourse, many others will follow.

In fact, it is the role the media plays in fostering and facilitating such level of debate that needs to be roundly criticised and wiped out. Javed Chaudhry had ample opportunity — about two minutes — to cut Ashiq’s mic. Instead, he let her libel Tariq before weakly offering a protest against her language. It is drama such as this which gives a show ‘buzz’,  leads to higher ratings and, most importantly, more advertising revenue. The formula is simple: book two politicians who hate each other, sit back and earn a fat pay cheque.

In my post on the media, both local and international, misquoting Pervez Musharraf’s remarks on the use of US aid I had refrained from passing judgment on whether it was media sensationalism or sheer laziness that led to their incompetence. In this instance, there is no reason to withhold opinion. The only reason to allow such behaviour to continue is the media’s insatiable hunger for controversy.

As an aside, congratulations must be offered to Firdous Ashiq and Kashmala Tariq for showing noted hawk Shireen Mazari to be the voice of reason in this televised farce.