Pak Afghan media war in the 1970s.

.. by Rahmat Karim Baig

The period that is uppermost in my mind about the state of Pak- Afghan relations in my youth has left an indelible trace when our sources of information were only News papers and Radio. At that time there was no TV channel. I listened to radio news bulletin of Radio Pakistan and Radio Kabul. There used to be a high level toxic propaganda from Radio Kabul against Pakistan and its policies with special reference to Pakhtoons in the then NWFP and fabricated stories of atrocities by Islam Abad against the rights of her Pakhtoon population inside Pakistan border. It was done in Pushto and Dari as well as in Urdu.

There was one hour Urdu program from Radio Kabul which broadcast popular Urdu songs mixed with poisonous propaganda against the state of Pakistan and in reply to this anti Pakistan movement of Kabul, Radio Pakistan Peshawar also broadcast a Pushto program where two names are still in my mind= Mr. Panda Khan and Mr. Shar Pasand Khan who made all out efforts to ridicule the efforts made in Kabul in collaboration with New Delhi.

The Kabul authorities did all for Pakhtonistan and all the propaganda was carried out continuously to instigate the Pakhtoon population in Pakistan and the fabricated stories of the usurping of their social rights. This was a part of the efforts of the man who was called Sarhadi Gandhi and to Intelligence sources he was referred to in code word of ? Red Star? who shuttled between Kabul and Delhi but refused to come to Pakistan. He was on self imposed exilement. Then in 1973 Sarhadi Gandhi decided to come back after completion of his mission and was welcomed back at Torkham border and I saw the stalwart old man with unusual long nose, sitting on a truck, reached Qissa Khawani Bazar and delivered a speech about his decision to return to Pakistan where all members of his family lived peacefully, but he made a will that after his death his dead body was to be buried at Jalal Abad, not in Pakistan which was carried out. Guess why did he make the will..my answer is he did not like Pakistan and he refused to be a Pakistani but what is your idea about such a character and his efforts ?? .. Prof Rahmat Karim Baig, Chitral 24 Oct 2018

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *