How Pakistan’s economic future now depends on donkeys, eggs and funny reporters
It calls for some detailed research as to how our vocabulary invented a psychological caste system and words like 'gadha', 'anday', 'murga' adopted a funny (in a derogatory way) connotation. They can never mean something serious. Not in the sub-continent.
Now, Pakistan, which aims at improving its cash-strapped situation by banking hugely on poultry farming, has become proud possessor of the world’s third largest donkey population (China comes first, of course). There are more than five million donkeys in Pakistan.
If words like 'donkey', 'chicken' and 'Pakistan' uttered in the same breath are not funny enough, there is something more here.
Geo TV’s Amin Hafiz live reporting the following.
Now, Pakistan is a land of legendary reporters. There is Chand Nawab, immortalised by Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Bajrangi Bhaijan, Hanan Bhukari, a reporter who live-reported his own wedding, and then, there is Amin Hafiz.
While Chand Nawab has got his due share of recognition, Amin Hafiz is on his way to gaining such eminence.
For the uninitiated, he takes live reporting to a different level.
He does live actions — cheers with boys getting drenched in the first spell of rain in Lahore, does jumping jacks in a park with other joggers, interviews cows, and then, for this donkey-business, he rode on a capricious donkey, which, it seemed, didn’t like to be bothered on the auspicious occasion for its tribe.
While it was on the verge of overthrowing Hafiz, either he got down or the video ended. Much credit to the editors and producers as well, who have finally found a way to spread good news about Pakistan on social media.
So much so that according to reports, the PML-N has praised the PTI government for this achievement.
It’s quite surprising how the new government could bring about such a change in the donkey population in just four months. But as it has been reported, much of the credit goes to the Punjab government’s Donkey Hospital which offers free treatment to ailing donkeys.
So, here's the fool-proof plan for Pakistan's economic development — strengthening poultry farming and donkey trading, and getting reporters like Chand Nawab and Amin Hafiz reporting on this.
True that their art of reporting will never be taught in any journalism school — but if it can offer social media something to have a hearty laugh about Pakistan, why not celebrate this new model?
Also Read: Why we can't but love Chand Nawab