By Salma Ahmed
Journalism is considered as the Fourth Pillar of the State and media in Pakistan has a long history of sacrifices to protect democracy and freedom of expression.
You can find hundreds of televisions how covering subjects from black magic to arranging weddings live on air but nobody ever thought that Pakistani journalism needs a television show representing media, media men and issue related journalism. At last this initiative of promoting media persons was taken by no less than state run television channel Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). PTV Head of Current Affairs Agha Masood Shorish who is son of legendary journalist Agha Shorish Kashmiri and one of the most senior journalists of Pakistan Jawad Faizi came up with journalism centric Current Affairs show Chotha Satoon (Fourth Pillar) that has completed its over 700 episodes till its third anniversary that was celebrated on May 3, 2017 live on PTV.
This innovative interactive show did not confine itself only to journalists of capital city of Islamabad or other big cities rather this show provided a chance to journalists from all over the country and from remotest areas as far as Gwadar and Skardu.
Journalists from Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Baluchistan, Azad Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan were provided opportunities to come on television and share their problems, opinions, ideas and experiences without the fear of censorship. Since its first episode, Chotha Satoon is a privileged talk show for journalist community of Pakistan.
All cadres journalism in Pakistan irrespective of their schools of thoughts and idealistic backgrounds supported this show because senior journalist Jawad Faizi enjoys non-controversial reputation in all cadres of journalism and Agha Masood is considered as one of the most respect personalities having to most respected house of journalism. Icons of journalism in Pakistan including Hamid Mir , Iftikhar Ahmad ,Suhail Warraich, Zia Shahid, Mujibur Rehman Shami, Salim Bukhari, MD APP Masood Malik, Altaf Hasan Qureshi, Ataul Haq Qasmi (now Chairman of PTV) Parvaiz Bashir, Idrees Bakhtiar, Farooq Qaiser and Salim Safi participated in Chotha Satoon during the last three years.
This show does not promote only journalists of Pakistan rather Pakistan as country also and its contribution towards promoting tourism in Pakistan cannot be denied. The Chief Minister of confessed during one interview to Dispatch News Desk (DND) news agency that Chotha Satoon played a pivotal role in promoting domestic tourism and Gilgit-Baltistan was flooded with domestic tourists in year 2016 summer after Chotha Satoon broadcasted a special episode on the tourism in the region.
Chotha Satoon ran an exclusive series of episodes to cover the beauty of Pakistan from Gwadar to Gilgit while exposing the social benefits of CPEC project.
Media can play a historic role in promoting something good and there are rear Current Affairs shows in Pakistan those follow this commitment of showing Good of Pakistan society like tourism, industrial development, economic development and sacrifices of journalists for developing a better society. Chotha Satoon is undoubtedly in lead to showcase Pakistan a worth country to visit and a worth society to live in.
