European Journal of Scientific Research - EuroJournals

328 Ishtiaq Ahmad Choudhry, Muhammad Nawaz Mahsud and Shajee Hasan
Study Background
A penetrating survey of the last fifty years of Pakistan foreign policy would reveal certain distinct
constants which permeate the entire gamut of Pakistan’s relations with external world. The first trait
which can be easily discerned is the pre-eminence accord to the US by Pakistan policy Planners to
ensure the country’s security against the perceived threat from outside. Notwithstanding the change in
the regional and global scenarios, maintenance of special ties with Washington has always remained
the basic motto of the ruling elites. Despite various ups and downs in Pakistan-US relations and
Islamabad’s membership of the NAM, the country’s foreign policy has remained US-tilted (Ali, 2001).
After 9/11, Musharraf made a momentous decision to join the war on terrorism. But this did not mean
an immediate U-turn on all support to militant groups in Pakistan. The skeptics doubted the US' staying
power' lamented the costs of turning against long time Jihadi associates, and questioned the wisdom of
picking fights with global terrorist outfits. And he needed US assistance to bolster his political allies
and win over the remaining fence sitters (Markery, 2007). In order to build trust with the Musharraf
regime, the Bush administration launched a robust engagement strategy, with total assistance to
Pakistan estimated at more than $ 10 billion since 9/11. Washington has also worked through
international financial institutions to ease Pakistan's debt burden, opening the door for economic
growth of just under six percent for the past four years. And in June 2006, the Pentagon notified
Congress’ plans to sell up to 36 F-16 jets and associated high-tech weapons system to Pakistan, a major
reversal of US policy dating from 1990, when such transactions fell victim to sanctions over Pakistan's
nuclear weapons program. Meanwhile, top members of President Bush's national security team have
turned Pakistan into a regular destination. Washington's post-9/11 engagement with Islamabad has
achieved notable successes. Such achievements would not have been possible without extensive
cooperation between Pakistani and US agencies; they also netted extensive information on AL Qaeda's
tactics and future plans (p.).
The media are highly diverse in content and in form of organizations and include a very wide
range of activities which could have effects on society. Media work most directly on consciousness by
providing the constructed images of the world and social life and the definition of social reality. Media
take a planned and deliberate role in social development. Media can attract and direct attention to
problem solutions or people in ways which can favor those with power, and correlatively divert
attention from rival individuals or groups and also segregated society of what the consensus actually is
and what the nature of deviations is. Media are responsible for promoting moral panies identifying
scapegoats, and acting as a guide to social control (Curran, James, & Michael 1977). Of the different
forms of mass media, the press has much importance. Press is one of the dominant institutions of any
democratic society. It performs the important function of mediation between the various institutions of
society. The press facilities a constant dialogue between these institutions and create a web of
interacting individuals and groups. Additionally, it creates space for expression of opinions, dissent and
protest. It also acts as a plate form for organizing similar yet divergent ideas and gives them the shape
of movements and revolutions (Sharma, 2005).
There has emerged over the last three decades a set of journalistic narratives on “Muslim
Terrorism” whose construction is development on basic cultural perception about the global system of
nation/states violence and the relationship between Western and Muslim societies. The dominant
discourses about these issues help shaped the cognitive scripts for reporting the acts of terrorism
carried out by people claiming to act in the name of Islam. The extraordinary nature of the terrorist
attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 produced a significant repute in media (Hasan, &
Salam 2007). The press facilitates a constant dialogue between these institutions and creates a web of
interacting individuals and groups. Additionally it creates space for expression of opinions dissent and
protest. It also acts as a platform for organizing similar yet divergent ideas and gives them the shape of
movements and revolutions (Sharma, 2005). Of course, not all analysts of the period were so optimistic
about the prospects of the mass media to produce dramatic change in opinions, but it was the dominant
view (Wartell and Middlestadt, 1991).