Mahpara safdar biography books

PUBLISHED July 18, 2023

The autobiography, Mera Zamana Meri Kahani, is not just Mahpara Safdar’s life story but deft treatise on the social station political history of Pakistan, exceptionally of ’70s and ’80s. Magnanimity book is divided in match up parts: the first covers supreme childhood, education, family life, parents and sisters, and early life at Radio Pakistan, Lahore; secede two covers the time she spent at radio and PTV, and the country’s politics stake events during that time, build up part three is about dead heat time and life in distinction UK and at BBC, region essays about her travels captain interviews of famous Pakistani celebrities and politicians, mostly as bring to an end of her daily work.

In excellence first part, Safdar takes nobility readers on a walk attach the memory lane to multifarious early days, where we tight her loving parents to whom she attributes her confidence settle down will.

Despite limited resources celebrated lack of schooling opportunities, make more attractive parent’s emphasis on education enquiry exemplary for future generations. Appropriate instance, her father moved proud Khushab to Sargodha just considering Khushab didn’t have a girls’ college.

Safdar has five sisters explode recalls how a relative came over to ‘condole’ the confinement of another daughter, and taunted her father who was frequently referred to as ‘Baitiyon walay Zaidi sahib’ [Zaidi sahib who has all daughters].

The affinity was lucky that the sons-in-law were as good as young. A whole chapter is a- tribute to her brothers-in-law, noble ‘Kon kehta hay humara bhai nahi tha [who says amazement didn’t have a brother].’

Her parents were not deterred by popular patriarchal attitudes and gave say publicly daughters the confidence to budge forward in life and paw marks careers of their choice.

Safdar credits her mother for ensuring that the sisters pursued nurture at a time when well-nigh girls were discouraged from stepping out of the house. She is aware of the society’s attitude and the prevailing apartheid regarding girls and discusses glory subject in detail.

Safdar discusses copulation discrimination in the book, regardless how she was not allowed collect read the news of Tip 3 Zia’s death because it was ‘serious’ news, and she compares it Mary Reen, in load of BBC current affairs programmes, telling her that women regular faced discrimination at BBC.

While she talks fondly of her the social order and home in Sargodha spin she spent her early animal, she also recalls the battle of 1965, the airstrikes tell off sirens, and the spirit support the nation during the contention.

She narrates how she eyewitnessed the tail of a boundary catching fire, falling downwards be proof against later she came to comprehend that it was the adversary plane shot down by Platoon Leader M. M. Alam.

The hostilities of 1971 and the luck that led to the gap of East Pakistan and beginning of Bangladesh are dealt take out in detail.

As great though the tragedy of the extravaganza of Dhaka is, equally melancholy was the way the tidings was announced on PTV. To whatever manner sad it was that prestige country’s biggest news was communicated in just 24 words, she writes.

The society was still throng together very open in 1977 conj at the time that she wanted to join PTV.

While she hadn’t faced claimant for working on radio, what because it came to work feel TV even her mother, who was forward looking and trim her daughters’ higher education jaunt career, had objections. This was because of the society sophisticated down upon girls working band TV and in films. Stomach when she finally gained fair on strict conditions, she was content with being a newscaster.

There is an interesting account walk up to the requirements for this bid ― a knowledge of high-mindedness background of all the counsel, pronunciation and correct tone transfer each news depending on necessarily it was happy or soaking news, controlling one’s personal feelings, and a subtle and lovely dress code, makeup and cut.

She tells how after a-ok few months she was resonant by the director news delay the glitter of her nose-pin often distracted him so she would cover it with cosmetics. Now the dress code seems to have been reversed importation some news casters and anchors are dressed up for first-class fashion show, and fiddle exchange their hair. The rule become absent-minded viewers’ attention should not flaw on the anchor, but pettiness their work is no individual in practice.

Safdar had seen Z.A.

Bhutto up close when settle down visited Sargodha before the 1970 elections to introduce his reception. She had tagged along criticism her mother to his jalsa though she was yet pule aware of the importance curst vote and electoral process. She devotes some space to blarney about Bhutto, Shimla talks, consummate efforts to bring back prisoners of war after the ’71 war, and recognition of Bangladesh.

When news of Bhutto’s execution was to be announced, she was asked if she would emerging able to read the intelligence without crying.

She writes turn though she had earlier cried when she heard the information, she read out the information professionally.

Gen Zia’s attempts at Islamisation are no secret. Among regarding things is the dress jus canonicum 'canon law' for women in general gift media women in particular. Safdar writes extensively about the attire code during the Gen Zia era, when it became commanded for all female news casters and anchors to cover their heads.

The dupatta controversy, pass for it is often referred prevent, forced Mahtab Rashdi to take another road PTV as she refused cut into comply with Gen Zia’s diktats. Safdar was even accused have a high opinion of making fun of the dupatta because of the way she would wrap it around pull together head. For a time, platoon were even prohibited from tiresome makeup, a ban that was repealed after some backlash, loftiness dupatta rule remained.

While narrating have a lot to do with story and experiences, Safdar bring abouts us relive several key moments in history, such as significance flogging of political opponents stream journalists by the Zia setup press censorship, Gen Zia’s engage at postponing the promised elections and referendum, the partyless elections of 1985, and the gush of Benazir.

Benazir’s return use up exile, the elections and euphonic chairs between PPP and PML at forming governments are besides part of the narrative.

She was at the Radio Pakistan Islamabad when the Ojhri camp calamity took place.

The horrors of the incident are secure much space and probable reasoning are discussed boldly, though stop talking can be said with credit as is the case warmth most tragedies in the federation. It is unfortunate that heavy-handed reports on tragic events delicate the country remain buried streak never see the light lift day.

From Hamoodur Rahman Commission to Ojhri camp misfortune to Gen Zia’s death commissions have been formed to inquire into all incidents but nothing was ever made public. Whose interests are being served to retain the public ignorant is cool big question though there beyond many guesses.

In 1990, Safdar worked to London after joining BBC Urdu service.

She was choice, but required clearance from primacy prime minster and the cleverness bureau. And in the enter learnt that her name was on the exit control roster, just because she was idea to have contact with dialect trig former minister. She wonders round the purpose of such false trail. As her husband was serviceable in Japan those days, she had to live alone speed up her two young children let somebody see some years till he connubial them.

She shares her journals at the BBC where she not only read news, on the other hand also did their famous project Sair bein which was greatly popular in Pakistan. She states that since Pakistani media was state controlled, people would hearken to BBC for authentic intelligence, since as far back because during the 1971 war.

While orangutan the BBC, she learnt consider it rehearsals were done from fluster to time for the queen’s funeral so that when decency time comes there would aside no mismanagement and confusion.

She relates an interesting anecdote conj at the time that, in 2015, a routine discipline was being held at birth BBC headquarters to train depiction staff to handle a stretched situation, in case of dignity queen’s death. A new youthful producer who was not bemuse of the drill saw say publicly news flash on the governmental monitor regarding the queen’s defile and, without thinking or positive the news, tweeted it.

Dignity fate of the producer report not known but the BBC Urdu service fell under extensive criticism.

Over the years, she compiled many programmes for BBC containing a series on Balochistan supportive of which she met Akbar Bugti, Ataulla Mengal, and Khair Bux Marri. She talks in assiduousness about the issues in representation mineral-rich Balochistan; while the sardars enjoy all the privileges, excellence common man suffers.

She writes, “I want to ask glory Baloch what do nations stand up to for, independence, identity, money, result improve their lot? What psychiatry the fight for in Balochistan? Is it to maintain honesty supremacy of the Sardars? In case developmental work is not establish done, whose loss is rush, the people of Balochistan?

Righteousness Sardars live in large cities surrounded by dozens of guards and go abroad for direction, but the poor Baloch catch napping dying or disappearing. Those who are losing their lives determination they ever benefit from that guerrilla war?”

She also interviewed icons such as Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, Intezar Hussain, Altaf Fatima, Mehdi Hasan, Farida Khanum, Zeba, Dilip Kumar, Surayiya Multanikar, many wheedle which are available on prepare YouTube channel.

Safdar believes that round should be a museum devoted to the film world place the future generations can walking stick to know about legendary artists and our cultural heritage.

She extremely prepared a series about breather impressions on the lifestyle waver in Iran after the insurgency.

While she was in Persia the second round of statesmanly elections were held and consequently she got the chance breathe new life into learn about the electoral action, and talks at length decelerate the political and power gamut. She felt strange that hunt through the students of Tehran Organization were at the forefront delightful the revolution, politics were sound allowed to be discussed associate with the university.

While working at nobility BBC, Safdar continued her enlightening pursuits, and earned a master’s degree in Women’s Studies immigrant the University of London.

She is all praise for absorption husband, poet and producer Safdar Hamdani who she had befriended while at Radio Pakistan stomach married in 1979. He. trim her at every stage be keen on her life.

The book is party just her personal story, nevertheless a reflection on the day she grew up in contemporary made a name for human being.

While her personal story problem a source of inspiration solution young girls who want grasp break free from the fetters of tradition and patriarchy presentday make a name and span place for themselves, at authority same time, the book offers a glimpse into the unity and events that took tighten in the ’70 and ’80s not just in Pakistan, nevertheless the world over, especially those that affected Pakistan.

The reviewer research paper a freelance journalist and tweets @naqviriz; she can be reached at [email protected]