Last Hope
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THALL, Hangu: A sprawling British-era military compound in Hangu’s Thall town has everything martial. The facility buzzes with military language, and commanders work through counterterrorism strategies in an area that borders the troubled tribal areas. Young recruits perform night drills and soldiers on duty keep vigil at different points.
But one soldier in a poky room has a totally different job at hand-providing entertainment to people and engaging them in discussions. Sitting behind a microphone on a low armchair, Faizan presents programmes of the Frontier Corps-run FM 99-Shaheen Radio. Unlike a soldier’s grim face, he offers smiles and soft words to welcome callers.
The FC has established the radio station to reach out the tribal people who were influenced by Taliban ‘propaganda’ through FM radio channels. Militant commanders in Khyber Agency set up FM stations to terrify people, but FM’s use by Maulana Fazlullah in Swat threw a serious challenge to the government. After excessive and effective use of the FM, he was nicknamed as “Radio Mulla” and it was instrumental for him to hold sway over the picturesque valley. The idea was replicated by militants in other troubled areas, influencing people’s thinking and terrifying them.
Faizan underwent training to deal people as presenter. Inside that small room, he is not a soldier. “It’s a different experience. I am enjoying it,” he told this correspondent as he took out time from a live broadcast by playing a Pashto song. His co-presenter and in-charge of the Shaheen Radio Lt Col Qamrul Islam also loves this job. “I am trained to be a soldier, but this is totally a different job. I love it,” he said.
The radio station is listened in far-off southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in several tribal agencies including North and South Waziristan. Its broadcasts can also be heard as far as in Afghanistan’s Khost province. Faizan’s voice from the small room reached the districts of Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Hangu and tribal agencies of Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram.
In short time, calls streamed into the studio. “Asslam-o-Alaikum,” Faizan welcomed every caller. “What would you share with the listeners,” he asked callers. Razi Sultan, a resident of Dalan in Hangu, called from Dubai and talked for several minutes. “We hardly cut off calls from abroad,” Faizan explained. The broadcast cannot be heard in Dubai but people call the radio station because they know family members and friends can hear them. “I convey a special Salam to my mother,” Sultan said, “and to other members of the family.”
Tika Khan, also a resident of Dalan, said he would have loved living and eating with his own children at home but he was unable to make enough earnings in Pakistan. “For the sake of job I am here,” he said.
That night the topic for callers was the incoming Ramazan. In his little voice, young Ahmad advised people not to show anger at people in Ramazan. “Don’t harass your parents in Ramazan,” he came up with another advice for the listeners. All the callers talked in local accent of the Pashto language.
“The people own it,” said the in-charge, Qamrul Islam. The radio station, he added, was not a propaganda channel; rather it provided people with entertainment and offered a platform for discussions. “This channel also counters the misinterpretation of Islam by Taliban. We show people the other side of the coin,” he said.
People’s participation has encouraged the managers of the radio station. Even women of this conservative region call the radio to record their opinions, the colonel said. “Once a caller opposed use of mobile phone by women as he thought it was a cause of immoral relations. You wouldn’t believe how women reacted to that call. We received record number of calls from women who argued in their favour,” he said and hastened to add that the male caller had to ring up again to eat his words.
The official said when bomb blast or militant attack had occurred and the radio broadcast the news, people had called the radio and condemned it. “I think this is a strong debate this channel is generating,” he said.
One military official said in reply to a question that the professional journalists were not hired because they had a limited budget. Radio Shaheen is not the only radio channel where a soldier is presenter. FC also runs radio stations in Timergara, Bajaur, Warsak, Fort Salop in Khyber Agency and Parachinar in Kurram Agency. Shaheen Radio broadcasts different programmes from 7am to 1am.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-187481-Military-run-FM-radio-proves-worth
But one soldier in a poky room has a totally different job at hand-providing entertainment to people and engaging them in discussions. Sitting behind a microphone on a low armchair, Faizan presents programmes of the Frontier Corps-run FM 99-Shaheen Radio. Unlike a soldier’s grim face, he offers smiles and soft words to welcome callers.
The FC has established the radio station to reach out the tribal people who were influenced by Taliban ‘propaganda’ through FM radio channels. Militant commanders in Khyber Agency set up FM stations to terrify people, but FM’s use by Maulana Fazlullah in Swat threw a serious challenge to the government. After excessive and effective use of the FM, he was nicknamed as “Radio Mulla” and it was instrumental for him to hold sway over the picturesque valley. The idea was replicated by militants in other troubled areas, influencing people’s thinking and terrifying them.
Faizan underwent training to deal people as presenter. Inside that small room, he is not a soldier. “It’s a different experience. I am enjoying it,” he told this correspondent as he took out time from a live broadcast by playing a Pashto song. His co-presenter and in-charge of the Shaheen Radio Lt Col Qamrul Islam also loves this job. “I am trained to be a soldier, but this is totally a different job. I love it,” he said.
The radio station is listened in far-off southern districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in several tribal agencies including North and South Waziristan. Its broadcasts can also be heard as far as in Afghanistan’s Khost province. Faizan’s voice from the small room reached the districts of Bannu, Karak, Lakki Marwat, Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Hangu and tribal agencies of Orakzai, North Waziristan, South Waziristan and Kurram.
In short time, calls streamed into the studio. “Asslam-o-Alaikum,” Faizan welcomed every caller. “What would you share with the listeners,” he asked callers. Razi Sultan, a resident of Dalan in Hangu, called from Dubai and talked for several minutes. “We hardly cut off calls from abroad,” Faizan explained. The broadcast cannot be heard in Dubai but people call the radio station because they know family members and friends can hear them. “I convey a special Salam to my mother,” Sultan said, “and to other members of the family.”
Tika Khan, also a resident of Dalan, said he would have loved living and eating with his own children at home but he was unable to make enough earnings in Pakistan. “For the sake of job I am here,” he said.
That night the topic for callers was the incoming Ramazan. In his little voice, young Ahmad advised people not to show anger at people in Ramazan. “Don’t harass your parents in Ramazan,” he came up with another advice for the listeners. All the callers talked in local accent of the Pashto language.
“The people own it,” said the in-charge, Qamrul Islam. The radio station, he added, was not a propaganda channel; rather it provided people with entertainment and offered a platform for discussions. “This channel also counters the misinterpretation of Islam by Taliban. We show people the other side of the coin,” he said.
People’s participation has encouraged the managers of the radio station. Even women of this conservative region call the radio to record their opinions, the colonel said. “Once a caller opposed use of mobile phone by women as he thought it was a cause of immoral relations. You wouldn’t believe how women reacted to that call. We received record number of calls from women who argued in their favour,” he said and hastened to add that the male caller had to ring up again to eat his words.
The official said when bomb blast or militant attack had occurred and the radio broadcast the news, people had called the radio and condemned it. “I think this is a strong debate this channel is generating,” he said.
One military official said in reply to a question that the professional journalists were not hired because they had a limited budget. Radio Shaheen is not the only radio channel where a soldier is presenter. FC also runs radio stations in Timergara, Bajaur, Warsak, Fort Salop in Khyber Agency and Parachinar in Kurram Agency. Shaheen Radio broadcasts different programmes from 7am to 1am.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/Todays-News-7-187481-Military-run-FM-radio-proves-worth
